Fire Engulfs Primary School, but Children are Safe

Pupils will be learning online after a major fire tore through the roof of their primary school. Manorbier VC Primary School was evacuated on Monday morning when the fire started.

An investigation is now underway in how the fire started at the school in Manorbier, near Tenby.

Pembrokeshire Council said continuity arrangements has been put in place and all children are undertaking online learning from Tuesday. The council said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the fire. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the fire has been extinguished, but had destroyed a large section of the roof, and there had been “considerable damage” to an adjoining building.

Fire crews extinguished the fire using six breathing apparatus, six hose reel jets, one turntable ladder, ladders and small gear. All utilities were isolated and the crews main activities involved firefighting and prevention of escalation to other buildings.

A spokeswoman from Mid & West Wales Fire And Rescue Service said: “Crews from Pembroke Dock and Tenby currently remain on scene. Incident is now in the responsibility of local authorities.”

An eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said: “There was smoke coming out of the roof tiles. Smoke was coming out of all the tiles. It just caught into flames then. The children were in there at the time. The owner of a local caravan park told the school to bring them to the club house to keep safe. Their parents came here to collect them.”

Damian Brown, who owns Buttyland Manor Caravan and Camping Park, next to the school, said he saw the fire and rushed to help.

He told BBC Wales: “It’s traumatising to see a school on fire. I saw the smoke and went over and the children were already outside and the parents then collected them from the clubhouse. It’s a lovely old building and it’s a shock to the community. We’re glad everyone is safe and well.”

Source: Wales Online