Fire guts Sunyani magistrate courts, destroying files and equipment

A pre-dawn fire has devastated the District Magistrate Courts ‘A’ and ‘B’ in Sunyani, wiping out documents, computers and other materials critical to court operations.

By the time firefighters brought the blaze under control, the court complex had been left in ruins, with officials saying nothing inside could be saved.

The Bono Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, ADO I Kwame Adomako Antwi, said the destruction was extensive, with furniture, records, air conditioners and office equipment all consumed by the flames.

The fire is said to have started at about 3:00am on Sunday.

Emergency response was slowed at the outset because the alert reached the fire service through a running caller, meaning someone had to travel physically to the station to report it before crews could be dispatched.

A team from the Sunyani Fire Station was first to respond, with additional support later coming from two tenders from Abesim.

But the operation quickly ran into serious setbacks.

One fire tender reportedly ran out of water, while another developed a fault on the way. Firefighters then struggled to find additional water sources within the city, a problem that significantly weakened efforts to contain the blaze early.

According to ADO I Antwi, attempts to access water across the Sunyani metropolis proved unsuccessful, with even hydrants found to be dry.

That shortage allowed the flames to intensify and spread through the court premises, destroying everything inside before the fire could finally be subdued hours later.