Perth Academy evacuated as firefighters tackle 'deliberate' blaze in school building

A secondary school was evacuated after a fire was deliberately started in the ground floor of a building on Wednesday.

Emergency services were called to Perth Academy following reports of flames taking hold of a disused storage area at around 2.08pm.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service dispatched two appliances to the scene. The fire was extinguished and the area was made safe.

No one was reported injured. Pupils and staff returned to the building after it was ventilated.

A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “Fire crews were called to Perth Academy just after 2pm today following reports of a fire in a disused storage area during lunch break.

“The school was evacuated in line with procedures and all pupils and staff left the building safely. No one was hurt.

“The fire was extinguished and the building ventilated before everyone was allowed to go back inside.

“We thank Scottish Fire and Rescue for their swift response.”

Police Scotland has confirmed that the incident is being treated as wilful and an investigation is ongoing.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We received a report of a fire at a premises on Murray Place, Perth, around 2.20pm on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.

“There were no reports of any injuries.

“The fire is being treated as wilful and enquiries are ongoing.”

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson added: “We were alerted at 2.08pm on Wednesday, December 4, to reports of a fire affecting the ground floor of a school building on Murray Place, Perth.

“Operations Control mobilised two appliances to the scene where crews worked to make the area safe.

“There were no reported casualties.”