Earnock High destroyed in massive blaze

Jun 26 2008 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

THIRTY firefighters last weekend battled one of Hamilton’s fiercest blazes in years.

Flames, fanned by strong winds, destroyed part of the now-empty Earnock High School building.

People living 100 yards from the former secondary could feel the heat from the blaze, which was battled by seven fire crews.

Smoke from the smouldering ruins was visible from Larkhall.

Residents who live near the school awoke on Saturday morning to find their cars covered in dust and soot.

Police are treating the fire as suspicious and have appealed for witnesses.

Yobs were heard running away from the building shortly before fire crews arrived.

South Lanarkshire Council still own the 5.6-acre school site, but construction company Barratt have applied to build 132 homes there.

Pupils were still using the school up until last Christmas when the secondary finally merged with Blantyre High at Calderside.

Since then the empty buildings have become a magnet for youngsters and thieves, with neighbours reporting numerous break-ins.

Police and the fire service were alerted to the blaze shortly before 2am on Saturday.

Flames spread through the former school’s main teaching block and its science block.

Five fire appliances were in attendance and firefighters also used two aerial platforms to tackle the emergency.

A problem with water pressure at first dogged attempts to fight the blaze.

However, that was rectified and the fire was brought under control.

Neighbours did not have to be evacuated but were told to keep doors and windows closed.

Parts of Wellhall Road and Royallen Avenue were closed off.

Chief Inspector Tom Aitken, of Hamilton Police, confirmed that they were treating the fire as suspicious and said no-one was injured.

A spokesman for the fire service said firefighters were there until 11.20am on Sunday damping down the remains and ensuring that the site was safe.

Their investigation team is now probing the cause of the fire.

Tom Clark, who lives 100 yards from the school and took the featured picture, first saw the flames from his kitchen shortly after 2am.

He said: “I saw flames bursting out of one of the main teaching block and heard voices.

“I took those to be the voices of the perpetrators running away.

“I opened the window to take pictures and you could feel the heat of the fire; it was really fierce and something I had not experienced before.”

Mr Clark, who is in is 60s and has lived near the school for 25 years, added: “The question now is what to do with the buildings that caught fire. Both look to be in a dangerous condition and, no doubt, children will want to go and have a closer look at them.”

A spokesman for the council said there had been security cover at the site. This was, however, being reviewed following the fire.

She added: “It is extremely disappointing that the building was destroyed in this manner and we apologise to local residents who may have been disturbed during the night.”

SNP councillor for Hamilton West and Earnock Graeme Horne, who battled to save the school from closure, said: “It is no surprise that this has happened because there has been a group of youths hanging around there, but it is completely pointless vandalism.

“I hope police find out who did this and deal with them appropriately.”

Earnock High was built at a cost of £309,000 and opened in 1957.

It was earmarked for closure as the council sought to tackle the problems of over capacity and a fall in the number of pupils.