Fire destroyed classrooms, offices and a store at the St Charles Senior High School (SHS) in Tamale this morning.
The cause of the fire is yet to be established. However, according to the Acting Regional Operations Officer of the Fire Service, DOIII Trisong Charles, they received a call at about 9:23 am that there was a fire outbreak in the school.
He added that a fire team was dispatched immediately from the Tamale Teaching Hospital’s fire station to the scene.
However, he said the vehicle got stuck, forcing them to dispatch a second one from the Tamale Metropolis fire station.
The Operations Officer said they were able to contain the fire from spreading to other parts of the school.
He said six offices, a storeroom and six classrooms were destroyed.
He said investigations were still underway. He added that there had been several fire outbreaks in the school that have been attributed to electrical faults.
He raised concerns over human traffic and obstruction on the way to the school.
He, however, added that though they encountered those challenges, they were able to make it in record time.
He advised the school management to check the school wiring system and, if need be, rewire the place.
“My advice to the school management is to check their wiring system because most of the fires in this school seem to be from an electrical fault, so the wiring system should be checked,” he said.
He added that the school needs to have firefighting equipment around.
“As you can see around there is no firefighting equipment; I think it will be appropriate if the school is able to get some fire extinguishers; once the fire starts small and you have a fire extinguisher, you are able to nip it down, 80 per cent you are able to control the fire,” he said.
Headmasters of St Charles Polycarp Kuusokub said he had just returned from their usual church service when he got a call from one of the masters that there was a fire outbreak at the PTA block.
He said he rushed to the place, and immediately the fire service was called in.