Granville Primary School fire investigated by police
Police have issued a call for help amid an arson investigation into a fire at a Maryborough primary school.
Fraser Coast
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Police have released grainy images amid an arson investigation at Granville State School and are hoping someone in the area may have clearer CCTV or dashcam footage.
The images of two males were released on Thursday as police continued to hunt for clues about the fire which broke out about 11.50am Monday amid multiple alarm activations at the school.
Officers also came across a second fire across the road in Brendan Hansen Park.
One of the two people spotted near the scene is described as having long hair with a long sleeve hoodie.
Meanwhile, the school has also posted a picture of its own, giving a shoutout via its Facebook page to the ‘heroes of the day’ – the police officers and firefighters who responded.
“They saved our school from what could have been a devastating arson attack,” the post read
“They had been working at our school from midnight and at 7am were still smiling. What champions!
Maryborough detectives are investigating the suspicious fire at the school on Cambridge Street.
Initial police investigations revealed a wheelie bin at the school had been deliberately set on fire, and the flames had then spread to a school building.
When Queensland Fire and Emergency Services arrived at the scene, the fire was on the ground floor of a two storey building.
Two fire crews had the blaze under control by 1.15am and remained on scene.
Granville State School’s principal Phil Murtagh spoke about the fire in a video he posted on the school’s Facebook page on Tuesday morning.
“First and foremost, we are open, school is safe and we’re looking forward to having all of our kids back here today,” Mr Murtagh said in the video.
“The police and Queensland Fire Service who did an incredible job, really saved one of our buildings.”
He explained in the video police were attending to another fire across the street in the park, and came over to the school once they saw the fire.
“They found that there was a couple of wheelie bins burning within our school,” Mr Murtagh said in the video.
“One of them was placed up against the door of our storeroom, which is our maths and science storeroom …
“Fortunately, they’ve been able to put it out before it could enter the year five, six classrooms upstairs,” he said.
He thanked emergency crews and explained without their help the fire “could have been much worse”
“Thank you so much to people that have been here working on site since midnight last night,” he said in the video.
“Without the quick actions of the Queensland Fire Service and all the clean-up job, it could have been really quite catastrophic.”
Paramedics were on standby at the scene at 12:40am, but no patients were treated or taken to hospital.
The Fire Investigation Unit and police were back on the scene on Tuesday.
Police have declared a crime scene and urging anyone who has any information, or saw suspicious activity around the area on Monday night, to contact police.
Investigations are continuing.
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