Boy arrested over $3m public school fire in New South Wales

Students were forced to return to home learning after the fire. Photo / Supplied

A 12-year-old boy has been charged in relation to a huge blaze at a public school in New South Wales, Australia that closed the facility and caused $3 million worth of damage.

Firefighters rushed to the scene at Glenroi Heights Public School in Orange, NSW about 10.30pm on December 5 to find a two-storey administration building ablaze.

Dramatic vision of flames leaping metres into the air and smoke billowing out of the building went viral after the incident.

The blaze took crews from Fire and Rescue NSW and the Rural Fire Service five hours to contain and the school has remained closed since the incident.

The library was also damaged however the classrooms weren’t impacted.

The boy was arrested on Tuesday and police are still searching for a possible co-offender, according to Acting Superintendent Gerard Lawson.

“We are not aware he is a student at the school,” he said.

“CCTV has helped the investigation as we tried to get hold of the person we thought might be involved.”

A suspicious fire has gutted Glenroi Public School in Orange, cancelling school and leaving residents in shock.

Police say the blaze was mainly contained to the administration block and library. #9News pic.twitter.com/feYIo1OuOP

— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) December 6, 2022

The young boy has been charged with using fire to destroy property, breaking and entering and drug possession, and will appear in front of a children’s court.

Students were forced to learn from home before the school holidays due to the blaze.

Shocked residents expressed their devastation at the loss of the library and other school buildings at the time of the incident.

“It is devastating for us because the kids all worked so hard this year on everything and coming close to end of school Year 6 graduating, their hard work all gone ... it’s just sad for all the kids,” one said on Facebook.

“I fail to understand why anyone would do this, as well as putting lives of the students and teachers at risk,” another wrote.