A fire has broken out at Northcote College in Auckland amid the firefighters' strike. Video / Supplied / Dean Purcell
The North Shore school hit by a blaze that destroyed a 100-year-old building will remain closed to students next week.
The heritage-listed sports pavilion at Northcote College was destroyed in a fire that broke out while firefighters were on strike during lunchtime yesterday.
In a message on the school’swebsite, Northcote College announced the campus would be closed to students while the asbestos-filled building is cleared.
The decision was made so that the burnt building destroyed in the blaze could be safely demolished.
“We have been advised by the Ministry of Education and specialist contractors to close the site for the safe demolition and removal of the fire-damaged building, which includes some asbestos cladding,” Northcote College said.
“The wellbeing of students and staff is our priority.”
Northcote College said it is moving all students to online learning for the week.
A school spokesperson said they were sad to have lost the oldest building on the school site.
In an email to parents, the school said it was proud of the way students and staff responded.
Yesterday, one student told the Herald the evacuated classes were initially lined up on the field but were moved to the courts when the fire began to spread.
He said teachers had been calm during the evacuation but “were starting to get really stressed when they realised the fire was getting big”.
The latest fire comes nearly 12 years after a blaze destroyed the college’s technology block (E block) in September 2014.
Firefighters from across Auckland tackled the blaze in a heritage-listed sports pavilion at Northcote College on Friday. Photo / Hayden Woodward.
Union blames Fire and Emergency for delay in response
The blaze occurred during the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) strike.
NZPFU confirmed in a social media post that it would be striking from between noon and 1pm yesterday.
A video taken from the school’s field showed large flames shooting from the burning block and plumes of black smoke billowing into the air.
Because of the strike, Fire and Emergency New Zealand said it took volunteer crews 30 minutes to travel to the scene, compared with the usual time of about seven minutes.
Crews were alerted to a fire at the college at 12.17pm and didn’t arrive until 12.29pm.
Fire and Emergency accused the union of “gambling with the public’s safety” and urged future strikes be called off.
