The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Community rallies round families hit by school fire
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Parents and carers of children caught up in the fire drama at a Fife village’s primary school have spoken of their relief that no one was seriously injured or killed.
The community of Cairneyhill is still coming to terms with the ferocious blaze which ripped through buildings at the local primary school in the village’s Northbank Road at around 1pm on Friday.
A full investigation is being carried out into the exact cause of the fire and the school will remain closed today and tomorrow at least as Fife Council draws up contingency plans to ensure youngsters can continue their education as soon as possible.
In the meantime though, villagers have rallied round and are clubbing together to try to replace many children’s belongings – such as school bags, coats, uniform and gym kits – which were destroyed in the blaze.
The school’s parent council has also issued a request for donations and has updated its available uniform list.
More than 30 firefighters were in attendance at the height of the fire on Friday afternoon, although thankfully up to 200 children and staff managed to evacuate the building and seek shelter at the nearby Cairneyhill Parish Church.
Parents and guardians were then reunited with their children throughout the afternoon.
The fire could have had far more serious consequences though, had most of the pupils not been outside playing or finishing lunch in the gym hall at the other end of the school from where the fire broke out.
Mum Jennifer Rippin described the whole episode as “very scary”, adding: “I’m pretty sure it would have been a different story if it had happened half an hour before or after and all the kids were in class, because it went up so quickly.
“The fire was through the roof within minutes and all the kids watched the roof collapse in from the playground.
“Definitely someone looking down on our wee village.”
Fellow mum Tiffani Baillie echoed those sentiments on social media and has decided to set up a JustGiving page, with all donations being passed on to the school for them to do something special for the children.
Heartbroken youngsters could be seen in tears as they were led to safety on Friday afternoon, but teachers and staff have been widely praised for how they handled the tough situation.
The school’s immediate future is likely to become clearer early this week as structural assessments are carried out, with news on alternative provision expected within days.