A few days ago on Thursday the 3oth July at aprox 1.50pm, a devastating fire swept through our local school Thomas Fairchild primary located in Napier grove Hackney a stones throw away from Neighbouring Islington.
The fire raged and swirled around in the windy and blustery wether conditions causing large volumes of thick acrid smoke to engulf the area, seriously hampering the fire crews attempts to control the fire. The fumes could be smelt across a 2 to 3 mile radius from the centre of the raging inferno, forcing people to close their windows in the warm summer weather. The internet Today has many pictures captured by Local people caught up in the disaster.
Thankfully no injuries have occurred but only because the school was empty during the summer holidays (vacation), However a group of youngsters who were attending a summer play-group in the grounds of the 150 year old school, were led to safety.
There are conflicting reports about wether or not there were workmen on site carrying out refurbishment and modernization works, the school was earmarked for improvements a recent addition to the school was unaffected and remains intact after the blaze has been put out, see pictures of it here at the architects site
The last of the fire damping crews have only just left the scene two and a half days after the first call was made to the fire brigade and at 08.52 AM. on Saturday the first of August 2009 1/08/09 or 08/1/09 for the American Audience. The first of the large fleet of enclosure lorries arrived on the scene carrying external fencing and parked on Cropley street out side the local news-agents.
It remains to be seen if the enclosure of the school encased by metal barriers is for Quickly rebuilding the burn't out school or if it is to be cordoned it off for a long period whilst an investigation takes place into the cause of the fire, that some locals instinctively said was arson. However it is still to early to say if there is any truth in this assumption.
The important thing now is for the school to be urgently reestablished any where within the local community. It's plain that the school will take a minimum 3 to six months to demolish and rebuild if there is a sense of urgency from the Local council.
But the kids and the staff need a location to start teaching and rebuilding again within the next few weeks. The only solution is to erect some prefabricated buildings on the local park to avoid this beloved school from being ripped apart.
We are calling upon all local people our local council and councilors to urgently erect some prefabricate buildings in the local park, to quickly allow the school to continue as an entity, and not to be dissolved into the surrounding schools, that are already overstretched.
Naturally any help or assistance from any source will be warmly welcomed
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