United Kingdom

Firefighters put out a fire at a primary school in Helensburg

Firefighters put out a fire at a primary school in Argyll and Butte.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said eight devices had been set up at Hermitage Primary School in Helensburg after numerous calls were received shortly before 5am on Tuesday morning.

No casualties were reported, and SFRS said firefighters were making good progress in putting out the blaze, which broke out in an abandoned school building.

Pupils and staff at the school, which is located on the east street of Argyll in the city, are currently on Easter vacation.

A spokesman for the Argyll and Butte council said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is reacting to a fire in the abandoned annex of the Hermitage Primary School in Helensburg.

“Currently, schools are on vacation. We will continue to liaise with SFRS to manage this situation. “

Scottish police have urged people who witnessed the incident to come out and say the first indications are that the fire started on purpose.

A spokesman said: “At around 5.15am on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, the SFRS contacted officers to attend a fire alert at an abandoned building on East Argyle Street, Helensburgh.

“Officers are working with partner agencies to determine the cause of the fire and we would encourage anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who has information that may be relevant to the investigation to contact the Scottish Police on 101,” citing incident number 0362 of 12 April 2022.

“We would also ask members of the public who may have been nearby at the time to review all private CCTV footage or contact the Scottish Police if they have relevant personnel who could help our investigation.