The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Porfar school inferno was an ‘accident waiting to happen’
Fears young vandals to blame for inferno
Forfar’s former Wellbrae school has been described as “an accident waiting to happen” amid fears young vandals may have started the inferno which destroyed the 135-year-old property at the weekend.
Some 50 firefighters from Angus and Dundee were involved in tackling the ferocious blaze which ripped through the C-listed building just before 7pm on Saturday.
The retained Forfar crew which was first on the scene was quickly joined by units from Kirriemuir, Brechin and three Dundee stations.
Hundreds of onlookers watched as flames leapt around 30 feet in the air from the old school, which has lain empty since it was replaced by Whitehills primary as part of Angus Council’s Forfar schools programme in 2008.
The fire crews took around two hours to bring the outbreak fully under control and remained on the scene until 2am, having used six appliances and an aerial rescue unit in the operation.
There was major concern over the close proximity of a cottage on the north east side of the school but its occupants escaped without injury and the house was also saved.
Forfar firefighters returned to the scene yesterday to douse hotspots within the charred shell of the school, which received residential conversion approval but had not been developed since its closure.
Detectives were also on scene as part of the investigation into possible causes of the outbreak, but a neighbouring community leader said the old school had been a frequent target for young intruders in recent months,
Former Forfar Community Council chairwoman Isobel Ross said she and her husband, John, had contacted police several times after seeing youngsters prowling in and around the building.
“It was an accident waiting to happen, I am just so grateful that no one seems to have been hurt or worse,” said Mrs Ross, whose home backs directly on to what was the main door of the old school.
The couple watched in horror as the fire quickly took hold, fearing that the distinctive turret about the main door might collapse and come crashing towards their back door.
“The plywood on the main door has just been replaced after the last time they got in,” said Mr Ross, 74, adding that in one recent incident they also saw a teenager sitting on top of the turret.
Mrs Ross, 73, continued: “The police always turned out when we reported it, but the children would have run off by then.
“I’m devastated by what has happened to this beautiful building and for me it is the end of a piece of history – five generations of my family, including myself, went to that school.”
Retained Forfar firefighter Steve Nicoll, whose full-time role is as a SFRS training instructor, led the volunteer crew which was first at the scene.
“The front part of the building was well alight and spreading rapidly when we got here,” he said.
“I immediately began by requesting an additional five units and then it became a priority to get people out of the closest cottage and try to prevent the fire spreading there.
“It was a big fire and it was clear the main school was lost.”
A mud-filled hydrant in front of the old building had to be cleared and members of the public even assisted in running hoses to nearby streets as crews fought to get enough water.
SFRS group manager Roy Dunsire said: “In the initial stages we were hampered by a lack of water but the crews did a cracking job in a difficult situation.”
I am devastated by what has happened. ISOBEL ROSS