Guilford Young College campus evacuated as fire engulfs building

Terrified Hobart students have described the moment they saw their classroom erupt in flames. PICTURES + UPDATES FROM THE SCENE >>

Guilford Young College students were stunned when they saw one of their classrooms erupt in flames on Monday afternoon.

The fire broke out in the school’s automotive classroom, which is filled with gas canisters, welding equipment, cars, and flammable materials.

Guilford student Andre Byamungu witnessed smoke billowing out of his classroom about 4.30pm, prompting him to call the emergency services.

“Nearly all of my subjects are in there. Everything just burnt down, we lost a lot of stuff,” Andre said.

“My boys right here were working on some projects, but they’re all up in flames.”

Hobart City High student Alexcia Kamaric happened to be walking by with her friends when she saw the red haze over the horizon.

Guilford Young College

“We came here about an hour or so ago and we saw fumes all over Glenorchy. It was a really scary sight,” she said.

Year 12 Guilford student Murad Suleiman was at the Zap gym in Moonah when he heard explosions in the distance.

When he went to see the source of the commotion he saw the sky was thick with smoke.

“I was just working out when I heard two explosions. They were so loud, so I went out and saw it was my school,” Murad said.

Guilford Young College

“When we got here we could feel the heat from the side of the street.”

Tasmanian Fire Service southern regional chief Jeremy Smith said he estimated the damage would be in the millions.

Mr Smith said this was a very severe fire, and that firefighters expected to be on site all night and well into the next morning.

“We identified a number of key issues in the building. It has a high fuel load, cars, machinery components, and even timber stacked throughout the building,” Mr Smith said.

Fire at Guilford Young College in Glenorchy. Picture: Kelvin Ball.

There’s a number of compressed cylinders, compressed air, acetylene, etc, being a trade workshop, and they are posing a threat to the firefighters.”

Tasmania Police are on site to investigate the cause of the fire.

One firefighter has suffered from heat stress, but no injuries were reported.

Guilford Young College

Catholic Education Tasmania said Guilford Young College’s Glenorchy campus would be closed on Tuesday after the blaze destroyed its Trade Training Centre.

As directed by TFS, students will have the day off and Glenorchy campus staff will relocate to the Hobart campus on Barrack Street.

“The Department of Education has been notified, as has the Minister for Education,” Catholic Education Tasmania spokesman Mark Franklin said.

“The Department of Education has offered support for students whose classes will be affected by the fire, by offering access to similar schools in the region.

5:30pm: Tasmania Fire Service are responding to a blaze at Guilford Young College at Glenorchy.

There are reports a building is fully engulfed in flames along Bowden Street.

Three trucks and an aircraft are attempting to put the fire out.

Fire at Guilford Young College. Picture: Kelvin Ball.

Authorities say no injuries have been reported and everyone on campus had been evacuated. Mark Franklin from Catholic Education Tasmania said the fire was found after school hours.

“The fire is part of a building called Trade Training Centre, which is on the premises of the Guildford Young campus in Glenorchy,” he said.

“There’s no indications of how it started yet.”

Fire at Guilford Young College. Picture: Supplied.