‘Simply responded’: Teacher comments on girl set on fire at Saskatoon high school

A heroic teacher who rescued a girl after she was set on fire at a Saskatoon high school says he acted on instinct.

In his first public comments, Sean Hayes says he sprang into action when the girl, who was 15 at the time, was set ablaze by another teen at Evan Hardy Collegiate in September 2024.

Earlier this week, the 33-year-old received a bravery award from the U.S.-based Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.

In a statement through the commission, Hayes says he hopes the award shows the importance of looking out for one another.

Hayes had received burns to his hands and face when he put out the fire, but he says he’s doing well in his recovery.

The attacker, who was 14 at the time, was sentenced earlier this month to three years for attempted murder and unlawfully causing bodily harm.

Hayes said Thursday he had no time to think or plan on that fateful day.

“My body simply responded in the moment,” he said. “I am grateful for the colleagues who were there to provide support and assistance, and for the sense of purpose and grounding that carried me through.”

Court heard the victim required multiple skin grafts and surgeries after 40 per cent of her body was burned. Scars also developed on her vocal cords.

“It is not something I have reflected on much beyond feeling grateful that the individual involved is safe and recovering, and that I, too, am doing well in my own recovery,” Hayes said.

In an account of what happened shared by the commission, it says Hayes told the girl to drop and roll. He also instructed a staff member to call 911.

The commission says Hayes got onto his hands and knees, trying to roll the girl back and forth to extinguish the flames, but was impeded by her backpack.

He then tried to put out the fire with his hands before taking off his shirt and using a colleague’s clothing to stamp it out.

Court heard the two girls developed a brief friendship, but the victim wanted to end it. The attacker became obsessed, writing a journal entry about how she wanted the victim dead.

Educational assistants had been keeping an eye on the attacker when she barged past them in the hallway and poured lighter fluid on the girl, setting her ablaze. 

Hayes was among 18 recipients announced earlier this week to receive a medal. The only other Canadian, Sadia Khan of Ottawa, rescued a six-year-old boy being swept down the Rideau River.

Saskatoon Public Schools says Hayes no longer teaches at Evan Hardy Collegiate but works at a different school in the city.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2026.

— By Jeremy Simes in Regina.