Arson fear in school fire

A NORTH Rockhampton primary school will be closed today after a suspected arson attack on an asbestos-riddled building.

The heat from the fire on asbestos sheeting caused explosions which scattered debris across the grounds leaving officials no choice but to shut down Glenmore State Primary School for safety.

Explosions resembling fireworks echoed for minutes yesterday morning as the fire gutted F Block, which contained four classrooms.

The noise could be heard 1.5km away, but the thick, acrid smoke bloming northwards told residents it was no celebration.

Fire and Rescue crews arrived soon after midnight but the building, on Farm Street, was already well alight.

People who gathered along McLaughlin Street could see across the school oval and through two missing walls of the building.

A collapsed wall lay in front.

"Front of my place it sounded like someone throwing planks of wood around in my neighbourhood," a resident said.

"Sometimes it was more like fireworks in town, but I couldn't think what event, so I went outside and saw a huge billow of smoke and smelled something like burning rubber.

"I thought 'That's just wrong for fireworks. Maybe we've just had a really big fire through an industrial estate, like the one at Knight Street'."

The building will be demolished and removed today.

Member for Rockhampton Robert Schwarten yesterday said the explosions were a result of extreme heat on the asbestos sheeting on the building.

"Words escape me as to the motivation of causing this amount of pain to others," Mr Schwarten said.

"Not only will it cost about $1 million, there is also the anguish to teachers and kids, the risk with asbestos and the disruption to the school."

Police yesterday were questioning a man, who was found near the school at the time of the fire by police sniffer dogs.

The man had been interviewed, but no charges had been laid late yesterday.

It took firefighters until about 4am to extinguish the flames.

This attack is the fourth time the Glenmore State School has fallen victim to arson and fire.

Today a specialist team from QBuild will co-ordinate the safe removal and disposal of the asbestos material and help in the clean-up at the site.

Professional air monitoring and testing will be conducted and the Education Department will work with QBuild to ensure the site is safe to be occupied tomorrow.

Mr Schwarten said the closure of the school was regrettable but necessary.

Education Queensland agreed. A spokesperson yesterday said the safety of the 520 students and 60 staff was their highest priority.

All parents and school staff were contacted yesterday about today's closure.

The spokesperson said parents were encouraged to keep their children at home but if it was not possible to take them to the Glenmore State High School hall for alternative arrangements.

The high school remains open today.

Glenmore fire history

Fire has devastated Glenmore State Primary School a number of times:

October 22, 2007: K Block, the school's music classroom, was gutted in a suspected arson attack leaving $250,000 in damage.

November 2, 2007: A fire destroyed an area in F Block. This was caused by an electrical fault.

May 3, 2009: Arsonists damaged a building at the school using a stolen gas bottle to blow up a wheelie bin.

Yesterday: A suspected arson attack destroys four classrooms in F Block leaving asbestos strewn across the school and a $1 million damage bill.