Blaze breaks out at Park Primary in Invergordon
Fire crews called to the school at 10am Monday
Last updated 24th Feb 2020
Pupils and staff have all been evacuated unhurt following a blaze at an Easter Ross primary.
Around 10am the alarm was raised at Park Primary, with kids taken to Invergordon Academy nearby.
Three crews tackled the blaze, with firefighters still in attendance.
The extent of damage inside the primary is not yet known, with unconfirmed reports that laptop may have been the source of the fire.
A spokesperson for Highland Council reported; "All children and staff have been safely evacuated from a fire at Park Primary and taken to Invergordon Academy. Everyone is safe and well
"Parents are requested to collect their children from Invergordon Academy.
"Extent of damage to the primary school building is not yet known. The source of the fire may be a laptop but this is not yet confirmed"
A public meeting on Tuesday will give concerned parents more details on what is planned for the immediate future of the children's education.
In the short-term, the contingency involves the kids being house at Invergordon Academy, but this plan will be reviewed at Easter by Highland Council.
Park Primary has 176 primary and 32 nursery children and Invergordon Academy has a capacity of 550 (however, there are 343 students at the school at present).
Leader of Highland Council, Margaret Davidson said: “We would like to praise the quick, safe and efficient way staff were able to evacuate the building once the fire was discovered.
“All our schools have regular fire drills in preparation for this type of incident. We are relieved that everyone is accounted for and is safe.
“We appreciate that this has been a traumatic event for the children and staff and we will be putting the necessary support in place for anyone who needs it.”
Highland Council are awaiting the outcome of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s investigation into the fire, but they understand it might have originated from an old lap-top.
As a precaution we are asking all staff using these older models not to use them until further notice.