Gold Coast Police investigating fire at Southport State High School
Authorities say it’s likely “alternative arrangements” will need to be made for students next week after a Gold Coast school was badly damaged overnight.
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AUTHORITIES say it’s likely “alternative arrangements” will need to be made for students next week after a Gold Coast school was badly damaged by fire overnight.
The blaze ripped through B block at Southport State High School in the early hours of the morning.
A spokesman from the Department of Education said it was working with the Department of Housing and Public Works - Building and Asset Service (BAS) Division to make sure staff and students could get back on site as soon as possible.
“It is likely that some alternative arrangements will need to be in place as we plan the return to school,” the spokesman said.
“Parents and families will be informed over the weekend regarding arrangements for next week.
“Guidance Officers and other support staff will be available for any students or staff who require it and for as long as it is needed.”
Southport Fire Station’s station officer Marcus Barrett said Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES) were called to the school about 2.20am.
“It was fairly extensive on arrival. It’s a two-storey school block. The whole upper level was involved when we arrived,” he said.
“Block B was the one that was damaged. We understand it was one of the original buildings at Southport High.”
Mr Barrett said the focus of firefighters was making sure the blaze – thought to have started on a second level – was contained to the one block.
“Which we were successful in doing. We completed here at about 5.30 this morning,” he said.
“We had three fire appliances and a specialist aerial appliance also.”
Mr Barrett said firefighters returned half an hour after extinguishing the fire to douse filing cabinets still smoldering inside the school block.
He said a representative from Education Queensland helped determine there was a “small amount of asbestos within the property”.
“But the way we’re dealing with that is the copious amounts of water,” he said.
Mr Barrett said roughly 40 workers who have been involved in construction of another building at the school “should be back (to work) this morning”.
“There’s no going near the damaged structure (though),” he said.
Mr Barrett could not say what started the blaze, but investigators will be on the case.
“Once they’ve done the investigation I’m sure we’ll know more,” he said.
Workers waiting to hear word from their bosses said residents living near the Smith St school reported a loud “bang” about 2am.
It’s unknown if the noise was linked to the fire.
Worker Rhys Canfield said he and his workmates arrived at the construction site to find the school building “a bit cooked”.
Mr Canfield said no one had been working on the building which was damaged.
Acting Detective Inspector Chris Tritton confirmed officers were on scene along with members of the Fire Investigation team.
“At this point due to some other barriers of asbestos, due to its age, the fire investigators haven’t been able to enter the building,” he said.
“They’re seeking assistance of our photographic section to seek some drone photography.
“We will treat it as suspicious, it’s during school holidays, it’s a fire without people around.”
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It was reported earlier the fire had taken hold on the top storey of the two-storey building and five fire crews battled the blaze for several hours, finally fully extinguishing it just before 6am.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said the scene was left in the hands of police.
A police spokeswoman said the fire caused “extensive damage” to the building.
It is unclear if the blaze is suspicious, the spokeswoman said.
Police investigations were ongoing and a fire investigator is expected to trawl the scene for clues this morning.
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