FIREFIGHTERS tackled a large fire at a derelict college building in Poole on Sunday afternoon.
Multiple fire crews from across Dorset tackled the “inferno” at the former Bournemouth and Poole College site in Constitution Hill Road on Sunday, February 5.
Witnesses said the fire was “out of control” within 20 minutes but showed their gratitude at the fire service’s quick response.
Read more: Fire at old college building in Poole 'started deliberately'
Firefighter are tackling the fire @Bournemouthecho pic.twitter.com/H73ZhETa3n
— Matt Simpson (@MattSimpsonEcho) February 5, 2023
Robert Foster was in the Sweet Home Inn when he got a text alerting him to the fire. He said: “I then ran back up the hill from the pub and that’s when I saw the whole building on fire.
“It started with a little bit of smoke coming out and then within minutes the building was up in flames.
“It was quite scary because you don’t know if anybody is in the building; there could be homeless people in the building.”
Another resident in Jellicoe Close said the blaze was “like an inferno” and that the fire was “quite dramatic”.
He added: “The building has been disused for nearly 10 years. I’m surprised it hasn’t been knocked down and had flats or houses built on it.
Residents and former pupils of the college tell me it is “unfortunate” the building is burning down. They say the fire is being made worse thanks to the asbestos @Bournemouthecho pic.twitter.com/uoXRTDzJ31
— Matt Simpson (@MattSimpsonEcho) February 5, 2023
“I’ve always thought it was a bit of a fire hazard because there are always kids mucking around there.”
The Daily Echo has seen footage of two teenagers next to a mattress on fire on the college grounds before today’s fire. It is not known if the two incidents are linked.
- As it happened: Large fire at derelict building in Poole
Anthony Bholh, of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We have been made aware of some of these occurrences around this site, but our main focus first of all is putting the fire out.
“We have fire investigators on scene who will be working with the police to determine what the cause was later on.
“It is a derelict building that has been boarded up and there is always a risk to empty building. We don’t know what the cause is yet.”
Seven crews attended the fire, including two from Poole, and one each from Westbourne, Redhill, Hamworthy, Springbourne and Wimborne – plus an aerial ladder platform from Westbourne. DWFRS were made aware of the fire at 3.45pm.
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