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Original poster

The school is on fire!!

144 replies

schoolonfire · 25/08/2019 21:14

Changed name as v outing, but dds high school has been on fire since 4.30 and is still spreading.

We’ve had a text to say the school will be shut tomorrow (obviously) but it’s looks so bad I think they’re going to lose the school altogether.

Has anyone any experience of what will happen to the students in this awful scenario? Dd has just started first year (Scotland). Just really pray nobody was hurt, so awful, can actually see the flames for miles.

OP posts:
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6
Woodmillbuns · 26/08/2019 00:07

I live 100 yards from woodmill have attached a photo of the school.
Just a quick warning to keep your windows closed that school is full of asbestos

The school is on fire!!
timshelthechoice · 26/08/2019 00:13

Holy shit, Wood! Is that it still burning then?

MyMagicStars · 26/08/2019 00:16

How awful. I can’t imagine how many are affected- staff, students, parents, siblings, the community. I don’t know what we’d have done. I’d try and gently encourage DD to do some work at home tomorrow to normalise things, and allow more TV and less computer, so she doesn’t feel hard done by screentime wise, but doesn’t risk seeing any awful news or rumours on social media, etc. Sending best wishes.

justatemporaryname · 26/08/2019 00:29

Didn't expect there to be so many locals on here! Thanks for the water offers ❤️

@Woodmillbuns has it reached the main building yet? Dread to think what that smoke is doing to the crowds that have been watching for hours.

Woodmillbuns · 26/08/2019 00:29

@timshelthechoice
Yes and it appears to be spreading from the lunch hall 😟
I went to that school my dd just finished 6th year there and ds was supposed to go to the das there hes devastated he was supposed to start a early transition on Tuesday

Woodmillbuns · 26/08/2019 00:32

I just hope that they rebuild it on the same land and drop there stupid idea of putting 2 high school and a college on 1 campus miles away

Original poster
schoolonfire · 26/08/2019 00:38

I wasn’t expecting so many locals either waves

These are from 2 mins ago on fb, main building well and truly ablaze too Sad this has been burning for almost 8 hours now.

The school is on fire!!
The school is on fire!!
OP posts:
MadisonAvenue · 26/08/2019 00:43

How awful.

My school burnt down when I was in my second year there (what would be Yr8 now). It was split site school and much of the upper school, which housed Yrs 9-13, was lost so those preparing for exams were prioritised and used the lower school, meaning that us younger pupils were in school part time for a couple of months until temporary classrooms and facilities could be arranged on gone upper school site. I left the school at the end of Yr 11 and the rebuild was still in progress. I didn't see it's completion until we viewed the school when looking at secondary schools for our son.

Woodmillbuns · 26/08/2019 00:43

Yep and it was a local lad who started it by setting fire to a bin 🤬

SageYourResoluteOracle · 26/08/2019 00:44

I grew up in Fife and am very sad to see what's happening. Awful!

Original poster
schoolonfire · 26/08/2019 00:46

@woodmillbuns I’ve seen that circulating, that’s what my dd was told, but other people are saying 2 people were arrested and 2 ran away. I don’t want to speculate until anything is confirmed.

OP posts:
Woodmillbuns · 26/08/2019 00:52

I Hurd it along with the lads name (not going to name him) from one of the eye witnesses .
Though it won't change things I bet he feels really crap now

Gingerkittykat · 26/08/2019 01:12

waves

There's a live video going round right now taken from a flat in Dun Rd, it's worse than ever now with bits melting and falling off. It has definitely spread to the at least one of the main buildings.

What's the current roll of WHS? Far too many for portacabins and the other local schools to deal with.

The smoke is awful, I drove nearby earlier and it really caught my throat. I've got mild asthma but anyone in the vicinity with more serious breathing probs will struggle.

The rumour I heard was 1 14 year old boy started it and his dad handed him into police, it will be better to wait for official news here.

64sNewName · 26/08/2019 01:16

Bloody hell. How awful for the whole community.

I’m in north Edinburgh near the water and we could smell acrid smoke outside at around 9 pm - we were all commenting on how pungent it was. Could that have been from the fire? Just seems so far away (nearly 20 miles according to Google maps).

Skyrain · 26/08/2019 01:20

It’s shocking. I’m not in Dunfermline but just a bit further north but feel so much for everyone involved. It’s not going to be easy for Fife council to sort out schooling for all the pupils.

Woodmillbuns · 26/08/2019 01:29

The worst part of this is all the disruption to so many children especially those who have just started the school.
Add to the fact that there is nowhere to place these kids.

Gingerkittykat · 26/08/2019 01:38

@64sNewName I doubt it, the smoke seems to be heading east. I was at the leisure park about half a mile west earlier this evening and could barely smell it there.

I don't know if the plans have been finalised for the planned replacement school building, I think it was to replace both WHS and StC.

EdtheBear · 26/08/2019 01:49

How awful, esp for kids at the start of exam years.

My guess is they'll either use portakabins or is their happens to be any big empty office blocks it could be a temp solution.
Either way it's going to take a few weeks I imagine to sort a temporary arrangement out.
Much more difficult to temporarily house a high school than a primary. A primary could easily be split up into community halls not so easy to do that with a high school.

DidYeAyee · 26/08/2019 01:55

Our primary went on fire recently. They decanted the attached nursery to the village hall and the rest of the pupils were bussed to school in the neighbouring town. (Tiny village school so capacity wasnt an issue).

They said it wasnt safe or cost effective to use portakabins.

LittleDoritt · 26/08/2019 02:10

God, the child who started it must be absolutely shitting himself.

EdtheBear · 26/08/2019 02:13

He should have thought about it before doing it!
My guess is he's probably still thinking 'Yes a day off'

PupsAndKittens · 26/08/2019 03:00

Gosh, this is awful. So sorry to anyone with connections with the school. Flowers

Random question, but If classes are bused to other schools, how segregated are they with the hosting school, do they join there classes or are they kept separate. I understand if they are because they are both likely doing a slightly different Curriculum, but do they join for assemblies/ Break/lunch ect

MaryTeenOfScots · 26/08/2019 03:06

When the city I lived in had a major earthquake (not the UK) several schools were badly damaged so had to be closed. There ended up being sharing of the undamaged sites so one school would use a site in the morning and another school would use it in the afternoon. This lasted for a few months I think. All the school students had compassionate consideration as well when it came to exams.

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's school, I hope they can get it under control soon and that there are plans in place for the students.

fifefires · 26/08/2019 03:20

Just saw this on the news, it looks catastrophic.

I was a senior pupil in a large secondary in the other big town near you OP which had a significant fire in the late 90s. (Not arson that one, electrical fault). Only the main building was affected though and they brought S5/6 back in into the smaller block and portacabins on the pitches within a few days. (This was in January so a lot closer to exam time). Younger pupils were disrupted for much longer, and used a mixture of local schools/halls and alternate days from what I recall.

I'm now a teacher and I can't imagine how they will be able to facilitate running a proper timetable any time soon. It's not like a primary where they can split classes over various locations with their own teacher.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 26/08/2019 05:55

Hope the damage isn't too severe.
My cousin's school burnet down when were young, must be around 20 years ago. It was during the school day (an accident, not arson). They were bussed out to other premises for a bit. There was apparently some trouble getting planning permission for a new school building as some local residents objected to there being a school there!