A routine emergency response turned into an unexpected setback on Wednesday morning when a fire tender from the Tamale Metro Fire Station caught fire while on the way to an incident at Sakpaligu, a suburb along the Savelugu Highway.
The appliance, identified as DPT No. FS 450, was dispatched at 9:28 a.m. with an eight-member crew led by Station Officer I Mohammad Gadafi. However, about 17 minutes into the journey—around 9:45 a.m.—the vehicle developed a fire while in motion.
To prevent further danger, the driver quickly maneuvered the truck off the main road and into a nearby ditch. The crew acted promptly, bringing the situation under control and extinguishing the flames before they could spread.
No Injuries, But Vehicle Damaged
Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the crew members. Preliminary assessments indicate that the fire caused partial damage to the underside of the rear offside axle.
To ensure the original emergency was still attended to, a backup fire tender from the Sagnarigu Fire Station was immediately deployed to the scene.
The affected vehicle has since been towed to the Regional Headquarters for a technical assessment and further action.
Operational Strain
The incident adds pressure to firefighting operations in the region, where the number of functional fire tenders is already limited. The temporary loss of one appliance is expected to affect response capacity, particularly in a fast-growing metropolis like Tamale and its surrounding communities.
Authorities are yet to disclose the cause of the fire, but investigations are expected to determine whether it resulted from a mechanical fault or another technical issue.
Source: Africa Publicity
