Tragic Fire Claims Lives of Sub-Chief and Wife in New Dormaa; Cause Under Investigation Amid Heavy Rains
A late-night blaze has plunged the New Dormaa Mango Grove community in Ghana’s Bono Region into grief, killing a prominent sub-chief and his wife in their five-bedroom home during a torrential downpour.
The victims, identified as 65-year-old Nana Siribour Ampoo II from Wenchi and his 48-year-old wife Grace Yaa Ampoo, were overcome by flames that engulfed their residence around 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 19, despite frantic rescue efforts.
Eyewitnesses recounted the horror: the fire ignited rapidly amid the storm, trapping the couple inside while other household members escaped unscathed. “The rain masked the initial crackles, and by the time we noticed, it was too late,” one neighbor told Adom News, describing how the once-vibrant home was reduced to charred ruins by Monday morning. The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) received a distress call shortly after the outbreak, but Assistant Divisional Officer Grade One (ADO1) Kwame Adomako lamented the blaze’s ferocity: “By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had reached dangerous levels. The victims attempted to escape but were unfortunately trapped.”
The incident has spotlighted vulnerabilities in rural fire response, where response times in Sunyani Municipality—home to 190,000 residents—average 15-20 minutes, exacerbated by poor road access during monsoons. Bono Region has seen a 25% uptick in residential fires this year, often linked to faulty wiring, unattended cooking, or lightning strikes during the rainy season, claiming 12 lives since January per GNFS data. ADO1 Adomako called the event “deeply unfortunate” and urged residents to dial the emergency line (03520-27129) at the first sign of smoke, while stressing prevention like installing smoke alarms and avoiding overloaded circuits in older structures.
The couple’s bodies were deposited at the Sunyani Municipal Hospital Mortuary pending autopsy, with joint police and fire probes underway to pinpoint the ignition source—suspected to be electrical but unconfirmed. Nana Ampoo II, a respected community leader in Wenchi, leaves behind a legacy of cultural advocacy and family ties across the Bono East and Ahafo regions. No foul play is suspected, but authorities are canvassing for leads.
As the community rallies for funeral arrangements, this tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the human cost of unchecked infrastructure gaps in Ghana’s heartland, where heavy rains from October to March amplify fire risks through flooding and power surges.
