Fire outbreaks in Senior High Schools (SHSs) nationwide are increasingly common.
Over the past few years, news headlines have been dominated by these fire incidents, particularly in dormitories and hostels, causing panic among parents and guardians.
The nation has recorded over 15 such incidents in just two years.
In these dormitory fires, students have sustained injuries and many have been left traumatised by these incidents.
The fires also disrupted academic activities in the affected schools as they were forced to shut down for long periods until the destroyed dormitories were renovated.
The renovations and replacement of items lost in these fires cost thousands of Ghana cedis.
Although no particular cause has been established in all these outbreaks, preliminary observations point to electrical faults, candles, mosquito coils, and arson, among others.
More worrying is the students’ seeming lack of the knowledge and tools to contain the flames before they escalate into full-blown infernos.
During one such outbreak at Wa SEC TECH, the Deputy Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Upper West Region, DOI Eugene Asa-Gyekye, complained about the unavailability of fire extinguishers and fire hydrants on the premises.
He also raised concerns about the design and construction of some storey buildings in some SHSs, saying there were no provision for adequate staircases for easy escape in times of emergency.
Fortunately, no life has been lost, mainly due to the times the fires occur. Most of the fires happened when the students were in the classrooms or still awake in the dormitories.
But one could wonder, what if the next fire outbreak happens at the wrong time?
Here, The Ghana Report highlights 14 SHSs whose dormitories have been gutted by fire from 2022 to date.
- Ahantaman Girls SHS
On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, a fire gutted a dormitory block at the Ahantaman Girls’ Senior High School (SHS) in the Sekondi -Takoradi Metropolis.
The fire reportedly started after all the students had left for their classrooms.
The inferno destroyed beds, chop boxes, books and other items belonging to the students.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) of Ahantaman, Charles Mintah, said preliminary observations suggested that the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault.
He said although firefighters from the GNFS responded on time to douse the fire, the majority of the damage had already been done.
- Fire Destroys Dormitory At Ascension SHS
Another fire ravaged a dormitory at Ascension Senior High School at Atonsu in the Ashanti Region.
The fire outbreak which engulfed the entire first floor of the building occurred in the afternoon of Monday, July 8, 2024.
No casualty was recorded.
School authorities suspected a gas cylinder in one of the rooms could have caused the incident.
Fortunately, the GNFS responded promptly and managed to douse the flames before spreading to other dormitories.
- Simms SHS
In October 2023, the boys’ dormitory of the Simms Senior High School in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region was also gutted by fire.
The incident happened while students were in class.
Several items of the students were burnt, leaving many of them displaced and counting their losses.
The timely intervention of personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service ensured the fire was contained and prevented from spreading to other facilities on campus.
- Seven Hospitalized As Fire Guts Nakpanduri SHS Girls’ Dormitory
Seven female students were hospitalized while over 60 were displaced following a fire outbreak in the girls’ dormitory at Nakpanduri Senior High School (SHS) in the North East Region.
The incident which happened on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, destroyed two rooms in the six-unit accommodation block for the students.
Items belonging to the students such as mattresses, blankets, books, and others were all razed by the fire leaving the students traumatized.
- Students Stranded As Fire Guts Bawku SHS Girls’ Dormitory
Another inferno razed the girls’ dormitory block of the Bawku Senior High School (SHS) in the Bawku Municipality in the Upper East Region.
The incident occurred at about midnight on Thursday, May 4, 2023.
Students in the room at the time of the fire managed to escape, and no casualties were recorded.
The GNFS was there in time as the firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to other blocks.
The building was destroyed beyond repairs forcing students to pack their belongings outside the dormitories.
- One Injured As Fire Guts Sagnerigu Business SHS Boys Dormitory
One student of the Business Senior High School in the Sagnerigu municipality of the Northern Region sustained injuries after a fire gutted the boys’ dormitory block.
All items in the building belonging to students were destroyed.
The incident, recorded on Thursday, April 6, 2024, affected the school prefect’s room.
According to the firefighters, at the time of the fire, only one student was in the room as schools were on Easter break.
- Fire Destroys Wulensi SHS Boys’ Dormitory
The boys’ dormitory of the Wulensi Senior High School in the Nanumba South District of the Northern Region was razed by fire on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
All items in the building were destroyed by the inferno.
The school’s assistant headmaster, Mr Atta Imoro, who confirmed the news, said the fire left the students and school authorities stranded.
- Fire Razes Eremon SHS Girls’ Dormitory
Over 100 students of Eremon Senior High School (SHS) in the Lawra municipality of the Upper West Region had to run for their lives after their dormitory caught fire on Monday, February 6, 2023.
The fire service intervened to prevent the fire from extending to other buildings on campus.
The cause of the outbreak was not immediately known.
- Fire Razes Girls Dormitory Of Wa Sec Tech
Students of the Wa Senior High Technical School were left stranded after a fire gutted their main girls’ dormitory block.
The fire started around 8 pm on Sunday, January 22, 2023.
The inferno destroyed five rooms and the belongings of the girls in one of the story dormitory blocks.
According to the Assistant Divisional Fire Officer who led the team to the scene, the cause of the fire was not immediately known.
- Students Of Sandema SHS Burn Dormitory Over Seized Phones
In December 2022, some students of Sandema Senior High School (SHS) in the Upper East Region set fire to their dormitory to protest the seizure of their mobile phones.
The second-year students protested against the head of the school’s cadet corps for seizing their mobile phones on campus.
They reportedly set the cadet room ablaze in the heat of the violent protest.
The fire got out of control and spread to one of the school’s dormitory buildings before personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) arrived.
- Fire Guts KTI Dormitory, Injures 8 Students
The Boys’ dormitory of the Koforidua Technical Institute(KTI) in the New Juaben North Municipality of the Eastern Region also had its share of the outbreaks on Monday, November 14, 2022.
The fire occurred around 11:45 pm.
It swept through four dormitory rooms before personnel from the Ghana Fire Service (GNFS) arrived on the scene.
They were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to other parts of the building.
75 occupants of the affected rooms lost all their belongings while 8 of them sustained various injuries.
It is unclear what caused the fire but preliminary investigations by GNFS pointed to an electrical fault.
- Fire guts Kwahu Ridge SHS girls’ dormitory
Fire gutted the girls’ dormitory of the Kwahu Ridge Senior High School at Obo-Kwahu in the Eastern Region on Wednesday, 29 June 2022.
Students in their final year were the worst affected by the fire.
The fire began when the students were away from the dormitory, engaging in sporting activities as part of the school’s sports week.
The fire destroyed books, trunks, chop boxes, mattresses and other valuables belonging to the students.
The cause of the fire is not immediately known.
- Fire Guts Tolon SHS Girls Dormitory
On Thursday, May 19, 2022, the girls’ dormitory of the Tolon Senior High School in the Tolon District of the Northern region was razed by fire.
The blaze affected the top floor of the girls’ dormitory.
It destroyed school uniforms, chop boxes, mattresses, and books among other learning materials belonging to the students.
- Fire guts Sawla SHS girls’ dormitory
A fire outbreak destroyed part of the Sawla Senior High School (SHS) girls’ dormitory in the Savannah Region in November 2023.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 11:00 when the girls were in the classroom.
This followed another fire outbreak at the school on October 26, 2022.
However, the timely intervention of the Sawla Fire Command prevented the fire which could have ruined the entire dormitory from wreaking more havoc.
There was no casualty reported in the process, however, three rooms of the dormitory and entire contents were lost to the inferno.