tags: Google Earth, Misc
Penyrheol School Gutted by Fire
March 18th, 2006, by Rich.
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).
March 23rd, 2006 at 7:39 am
Well covered, Rich. Excellent 3D model Great pics from Andy Caie!
Such a tradgedy for the GCSE kids in particular, and for everyone in the community.
However, the school survived and thrived after lightening did its damage last time.
Good luck to everyone in the second Phoenix struggle
March 29th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
The good news is that some 400 GCSE students have been able to return to the lesser damaged parts of the school today to resume their studies, twelve days after the conflagration
April 7th, 2006 at 9:06 am
i feel awful for everyone there! My year was the year that left last september…they were the best 5 years of my life! my sis is now in year 8 and isnt going back until May 2nd….we’ve been planning some fundraisers and are waiting for the school to get back to us! =)
April 11th, 2006 at 9:12 am
The school is to be rebuilt on the same site, this time with a sprinkler system.
The firemen who bravely fought the fire are now busy fundraising to replace lost equipment. They have handed over a cheque for £1663 raise washing cars in the Somerfield carpark in Gorseinon last week, and from donations from shoppers.
Donations are coming in from various sources. HSBC and Western Power have each pledged £1000, and Cefn Hengoed School has donated furniture.
Members of the public are being asked to donate their Tesco Computers for Schools vouchers to help to re-equip the school.
A series of fundraising activities his being organised. They can be EMailed at
penyrheolfriends@aol.com
and up to date info can be found at
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/penyrheol
And the good news for the local kids is that the swimming pool has been reopened.
May 16th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
I couldn’t believe that the school had burnt!!! I was gutted!!! Me and my mates were chatting about for ages and when i went to see it i cried!! :(:(:(:(:(
June 19th, 2006 at 4:37 pm
I so couldn’t belive it, it was there 1 minute and then it was gone but its cool now we’ll all bk at skool and r working (gutted but never mind) and now we r all happy :)
July 21st, 2006 at 9:30 am
I was a pupil at penyrheol and it was my last year at the school and i lost alot of work that day im lucky that i can still get the grades i want because of the loss. I really am going to miss the school the was it usto be but i can garantee that i WILL be there for the grand opening of the new penyrheol comp. Im gonna miss it. =(
July 21st, 2006 at 10:36 am
The end of the school year brought the happy sounds of the School Sports Day floating through the warm air earlier this week. Now the pile drivers have moved in …. the phoenix is beginning to flutter in there! Hooray!
July 25th, 2006 at 5:27 pm
Hiya! x
I am not a member of this school but i do feel so sorry for the kids that go, My school i am moving up too has bin burnt down aswell, but since then it has fully recoverd and i hope yours will too!
Billie manners, 11 years of age, nottingham, england
September 27th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
Glad to report that the school has reopened with all pupils now back on one campus, albeit in prefabricated temporary classrooms.
Meanwhile the trial has started of two youngsters who are accused of having had a role to play in the devastation.
More info available from the South Wales Evening Post.