tags: Google Earth, Misc
Penyrheol School Gutted by Fire
March 18th, 2006, by Rich.
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Penyrheol Comprehensive School (where I used to do an evening football class, and a team which our school rugby team played against regularly) has been razed to the ground by fire.
Mum lives very near to the school and noticed “what looked like a house on fire” at about 01:30 and was about to call the emergency services when she saw blue lights so observed the events as they unfolded.
Two hours later (03:30) in gale force easterly winds, the fire continued to blaze - Emergency services swarmed all over the local roads to the west of the school, sensibly keeping out of the smoke when it’s not necessary.
Mum reported seeing people up ladders and hearing things exploding.
By 05:00 the fire was under control, but extensive damage had occurred. A large proportion of the school has been razed: science, business, computing, staff areas, dining rooms & kitchens all flat to the ground.
Surviving the fire
The Leisure Centre which adjoins the school to the east (a favourite for kids birthday parties) has slight smoke damage. The English and Maths departments have survived, but a lot of coursework and school records have been lost. There is some hope that work which teachers and kids did on computers (including assignments and grades) is likely to exist in different forms on home computers, laptops and on backup disks in various places, so it’s not as complete a loss as it would have been just a few years ago.
Photos
Clicking on each photo will take you to a flickr (photo sharing) page where you can download high resolution copies.
Press Coverage
The story has been picked up by the BBC, and as other agencies publish reports, they’ll be listed here (archived stories here).
Google Earth Location / Model
This is a Google Earth placemark which identifies the school’s location, and includes a (fairly simple) 3d model of the former building illustrating what’s been destroyed.
Previous Fire
The school was rebuilt in 1976 after a fire destroyed the previous buildings. A couple of photo’s of that fire are available on the web at the Gorseinon History Archive (here and here).
November 8th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
I know for a fact that Jonathan Giles IS INNOCENT because the sick little s**t that actually did burn down our school, is living with his family (that prob gave his the aliby) down the bottom of Gorseinon!
My i ask why he is allowed back to Gorseinon, even after being thought of the one to have burnt down the school. The system is sick, and he should’ve been sent down not Jonathan.
He doesn’t even walk out of his house without a family member! Coz he’s sooooo scared of what people might do coz they know the truth!!!!!
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:07 am
Latest info here: http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=20956
January 8th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
New announcement today from Swansea City Council here:
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=21494
February 2nd, 2008 at 5:17 am
New website being set up this week to cover the rebuilding of the school due to re-open next year.
Latest info about both the rebuild and the website.
July 31st, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Thought you might like an instant update…. follow the links for more info too:
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=24581
November 11th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I was a pupil at the school, when it burnt down the first time in 1976, it really was quite unsettling for everyone, we hat to go to Loughor College and had to catch a lot of buses. How on earth could they rebuild a school without sprinklers? I was in the 2nd year when it happened and left after the lower 6th. Can´t really say I have really great memories of the “shuttle bus school”. It was really incredible to hear that the school burned once again. One of the good things was that the school offered German thanks to Mrs. Mitchell been I have living in Germany for 16 years and speak fluent German, I guess that it what inspired me the most. Vorsprung durch Mrs. Mitchell so to speak. Which means I get to go skiing and drive to Italy a lot. I only managed a C at O level, so I quess it was enough.
All the best for everyone affected by the problems and keep learning.
I am now learning italian!! Tanti saluti e arevedici