Bowen Road Primary School fire ‘deliberately lit’, 14yo to face court

Police have alleged a 14-year-old was behind the deliberately lit fire at a Moonah primary school, which will be closed for several days. LATEST >

Bowen Road Primary School fire, October 22, 2022. Photo: Nikki Davis-Jones

A 14-year-old from Moonah has been identified by police as allegedly behind the deliberately lit fire at Bowen Road Primary School.

The blaze — which destroyed several classrooms and a library — was investigated by Tasmania Fire Service and Tasmania Police who determined it was deliberately lit.

As a result of the investigation a 14-year-old from Moonah will be proceeded against under the Youth Justice Act.

Several classrooms were destroyed by the fire and will need to be demolished.

Fire destroyed classrooms at Bowen Road Primary School at Moonah. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Meanwhile, a parent of a child at Bowen Road Primary School said his seven year old daughter was almost in tears seeing her school see classrooms burned out, after a suspicious blaze on Saturday.

Tony Su and his seven year old daughter Piper checked out the damage on Sunday.

“When we saw it on Facebook it was an absolute shock but seeing it this morning was devastating,” Mr Su.

“She was really upset, when we looked at it she was pretty teary she was asking if she was going to go back to school on Monday.”

7 year old Grade 2 Bowen Road Primary School student Piper Su and her Dad Tony Su looking over their fire damaged school.

Emergency services were called to the scene at around 4:15pm on Saturday, arriving to find part of the school well alight.

“Crews from Tasmania Fire Service extinguished the fire, which was contained to the middle section of the building, which was completely destroyed,” A Tasmania Police spokesperson said.

“A fire investigation is ongoing, however, initial investigations indicate the fire appears to be deliberately lit.”

Bowen Road Primary School Hobart.

It took firefighters an hour to bring the blaze under control, but they were unable to save the library, ICT lab and two classrooms.

“What it looked like when we saw it from the outside, in the middle part, it was a burnt out shell, it was the grade 5/6 rooms,” Mr Su said.

“I imagine there would be a lot of smoke and water damage in the buildings next to it.”

Bowen Road Primary School Hobart.

Mr Su said the fire would hit the community hard.

“We live nearby and all my three kids have gone to that school,” Mr Su said.

“It’s a really nice family school.

“To see it happen and potentially being arson is really devastating for Bowen Road, it’s upsetting.”

In a post to the school community over the weekend, principal Sue Richardson said the school would be closed “until at least Thursday”.

To the school community:

Sadly, our school sustained substantial damage from the fire (Saturday) afternoon.

Laptops retrieved by Tasmania Fire Service and handed to school staff. Fire destroyed classrooms at Bowen Road Primary School at Moonah. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Unfortunately, following an assessment by a structural engineer today, and with forecast strong winds over coming days, we have been advised that our school site will need to be closed for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this coming week.

I will be sending all of our families a letter today with further detail about arrangements for these two days.

Sue Richardson

Principal

‘Absolutely devastated’: School library, classrooms lost in blaze

Bowen Road Primary School principal Sue Richardson says she’s “absolutely devastated” after fire tore through the facility Saturday afternoon.

“We’ve lost a library, ICT lab and two classrooms,” Ms Richardson told the Mercury at the scene.

“The classrooms were for grade 5 and 6 students and had just been refurbished.

“All of their belongings were inside of that building, they will be so upset.”

The fire at Bowen Road Primary School. Photo: Craig Welsh/Facebook

The principal of 12 years said she hopes the police determine the cause of the fire as soon as possible.

“We can’t look at footage on security cameras until the internet comes back on,” she said.

Emergency services are currently at Bowen Road Primary School in response to a structure fire.

Tasmania Police has closed Bowen Road between Garden Road and Hopkins Street until further notice while crews work to extinguish the blaze.

Tasmania Police Inspector John Ward said he suspects the fire was deliberately lit.

“We will conduct an investigation, with forensic testing and door knocking any witnesses available,” he said.

“We will also look for camera footage if it’s possible to retrieve that.

“Tasmania Police will stay at the premise overnight to make sure the site stays safe.

“We will ensure that nobody else comes back and tries to set fire to the premise to destroy evidence.”

Mr Ward said it was a relief no one was injured in the blaze.

“It’s best outcome is that no one is injured,” he said,

Forensics and fire investigators will return on Sunday morning to determine the cause of the blaze.

Bowen Road Primary School fire, October 22, 2022. Photo: Nikki Davis-Jones

Tasmania Fire Service senior station officer Peter Tavasz said it took more than an hour to bring the fire under control.

“We had four crews from Hobart, Glenorchy and Clarence arrive to the job to extinguish the fire,” he said.

“When they arrived they found at least one third of the structure on fire.

“Through a quick and aggressive attack they stopped the fire from spreading.”

Mr Tavasz said it was too early to say just how much damage had been done to the building.

“There is substantial damage to the structure, at least two classrooms have been completely gutted,” he said.

A smoke alert message was issued by Tas Alert as a result of the blaze, urging residents to avoid the area between Bowen Road to Main Road in Moonah.

Smoke from this fire is visible in the Bowen Road to Main Road, Moonah area.

“There is no threat to the general public. People who don’t need to be in the immediate area should stay away,” the alert said.

The incident comes just days after a fire was deliberately lit at Dodges Ferry Primary School, with damage isolated to an external area of the kindergarten building.