Huge fire at old college site shuts nearby school
A school near to the scene of a huge fire which broke out overnight has been forced to shut.
The blaze, at the site of a former college, was still alight and giving off heavy smoke on Tuesday morning, the fire service said.
Dozens of firefighters spent the night tackling the blaze at the disused Hunters Hill College in Blackwell, near Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, with 12 crews sent to the scene.
Blackwell First School on St Catherine's Road was closed due to advice from the fire service that air quality was poor, and nearby residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed and avoid the area.
No one was injured in the incident, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said.
The college, which had operated as a community special school, closed in August 2021.
A statement from Blackwell First School said: "Due to the large fire on Hunter's Hill site overnight, fire crews remain on site.
"The smoke in the area is not yet moving due to the weather conditions.
"For this reason, the school has liaised with fire services regarding the weather forecast and the current state of the site and have made the decision to remain closed today."
Fire service station commander, Chris White, said crews arrived on scene after receiving multiple calls from residents shortly after 21:00 GMT on Monday.
They found a "well-developed" and "intense" fire quickly spreading between buildings, and brought in water carriers to help contain the flames.
Although nobody was evacuated, the service worked to minimise the impact on the community as much as possible, he explained.
"Materials and buildings contain all sorts of nasties, so that's why we'd always say stay out of the smoke plume, keep your windows and doors shut," he added.
Fire crews from the West Midlands and Warwickshire were also called in to help out.
Eyewitness Ian Black said he called the fire service at about 21:45 BST, and could see the flames reaching up into the sky from the back of his house.
"There appeared to be a secondary fire as well," he said. "It burned for quite a while. The fire service turned up very quickly and they did a good job putting it out.
"Fortunately the wind was away from us so all of the embers went away from most of the houses and into the fields, and it was raining."
Two crews remained on site on Tuesday to tackle hotspots and the fire service said dampening down would continue for the rest of the day.
"A fire investigation team visited on Monday, but it was too soon to determine the cause of the blaze", White said.
He added that St Catherine's Road would be reopened "as soon as we can".
Alex Yip, deputy leader of the Conservative group on Birmingham City Council, said he was "appalled" to hear about the fire at the school, which, although based in Bromsgrove, was run by the city authority.
He has sent the council a letter calling for a full public account of the circumstances that led to the flames, including why it "became vulnerable to vandalism and fire".
Yip, who called in the decision to shut the special school five years ago, said its closure followed "years of under-investment and the failure to undertake basic maintenance".
He added the building had been donated by the Cadbury family for the use of people living in the city, and should have been returned to public use, not neglected.
"Residents deserve transparency and accountability," he added. "How was a building of such historic, educational and community value allowed to stand empty for years before ultimately being destroyed by fire?
"We need a full account of what happened, what this has cost taxpayers, and whether opportunities were missed to preserve this important asset for future generations."
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