Blaze at former school feared to be due to arson
CREWS BATTLED
AN investigation is under way into the cause of a fire at a grade IIlisted former school building.
The roof of the former Open Air School in Western Park went up in flames on Thursday night with the buildings still burning into the early hours of Friday.
Firefighters remained at the scene yesterday.
Emergency services were alerted to the fire at about 6pm.
The initial 999 call suggested people had been inside at the time, according to Station Commander Anthony Wildgoose.
However, nobody was found on the site during searches.
Police were also called to the incident at the request of the fire service on Thursday night and returned with the owner of the property yesterday.
A spokesman for the fire service said: “A fire investigation is being arranged with the police to confirm the cause, which is suspected to be deliberate ignition.”
Part of the roof of the building had to be stripped to prevent the fire from engulfing the rest.
Further work was carried out to remove internal cladding and dampen hotspots after the main seat of the fire was put out by 1.40am.
Neighbours told the Mercury on Thursday night that they suspected the fire was started by arsonists.
They said the site had been frequented by youths over the years.
The school had been owned by Leicester City Council until it closed in 2005 and has since been targeted by vandals and arsonists, leaving it in a state of disrepair.
Plans to breathe new life into the complex, which consists of several structures, were submitted to city council planning officers in 2021.
Leicester firm WPOAS lodged proposals to turn the old school into a cafe and office space, which included demolishing the firedamaged parts of the property.
The Mercury has attempted to contact the owners about how the incident may have affected plans.