Tennant Creek High School set to remain open despite suspicious overnight fire

DETECTIVES are investigating after a suspicious fire was lit in a gymnasium bathroom block of the Tennant Creek High School overnight

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TENNANT CREEK High School is likely to remain open for students today despite a suspicious fire being lit in an old gymnasium bathroom block overnight.

Southern Watch Commander Darryl Kerr said police were investigating the fire which couldn’t have “just started by itself”.

“There was a suspicious fire in Tennant Creek. It was about 12.50am the Tennant Creek Police responded to an audible alarm at the Tennant Creek High School,” he said.

“Upon their arrival they saw smoke coming out of one of the buildings. The fire services attended, the fire’s been extinguished and one of the rooms, it looks like a toilet room next to the old gymnasium, there’s a fire started there.

“There’s nothing there for it to be a spontaneous combustion or anything like that, there’s not materials that would (start a fire).”

Snr Sgt Kerr said he expected the school would be safe for students to attend.

“There doesn’t appear to be much structural damage, if an,y but there’s a fair bit of smoke damage so a crime scene has been established and Tennant Creek detectives are investigating,” he said.

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“It looks like the door has been shut there and it’s been confined to that small area so I don’t think it should disrupt the school and students going back there today.

“I imagine (school will be open today) because it’s like a toilet area next to the gym and I don’t think it spread to any of the classrooms, so it might be a disruption to if they do anything out of that area.”

Investigations will continue today.

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