Otley Primary School Head “Devastated” After Toilet Fire

The head teacher of a school expressed her “devastation” following a fire that originated in a toilet. Firefighters responded to Otley Primary School, located on Chapel Road near Ipswich, Suffolk, at 15:37 GMT on Monday. Crews discovered the fire had begun in a ground floor toilet and subsequently spread to the roof. An investigation conducted on Tuesday determined the cause to be electrical. Hannah Evans, the executive head teacher, announced that the school would implement online lessons for pupils during its closure. Ms. Evans stated, “Following the fire yesterday afternoon, we are devastated for the children and staff who work so hard for the school.” She added, “The children’s wellbeing is at the heart of all decisions we will be making over the coming days.” She further explained the immediate plans: “Our first priority is to provide online learning provision from tomorrow. We will continue to update parents and carers as we go through the process.” Concluding her statement, she expressed gratitude: “We would like to thank our staff, parents, community and especially the fire service for all their support during this very difficult time. Thank you.” Seven fire crews from Suffolk Fire and Rescue were dispatched to the site. They utilized two hose reel jets and a larger covering jet to combat the blaze, which was successfully extinguished by 17:55. No casualties were reported.