Around 35 firefighters are tackling a blaze at an old primary school in Inverkeithing.
Emergency services were called to the scene in Roods Road in the Fife town at around 9.20pm on Monday.
Words can't describe the Old Primary School in Inverkeithing pic.twitter.com/BOiFSoFyI7
— Mark (@Toynton1993) November 20, 2018
Seven fire appliances were involved in tackling the blaze.
Police and the fire service advised residents to stay inside due to the smoke and told people to avoid the area.
Old Inverkeithing Primary School on fire – avoid area. pic.twitter.com/T1Z9X9MTFP
— Mary Bradley (@MaryBradley617) November 19, 2018
South West Fife Police tweeted: “Police currently assisting SFRS @fire_scot at Roods Road, Inverkeithing due to ongoing fire at the old primary school.
Old inverkeithing primary (photo taken from Facebook) pic.twitter.com/h47j2oICGw
— Alex Keddie (@alex_keddo) November 19, 2018
“Please close your windows if you live near to the area. Do not approach the surrounding streets to allow @fire_scot access to the building.”
Police currently assisting SFRS @fire_scot at Roods Road, Inverkeithing due to ongoing fire at the old primary school. Please close your windows if you live near to the area. Do not approach the surrounding streets to allow @fire_scot access to the building.
— South West Fife Police (@SWFifePolice) November 19, 2018
Some local roads were closed while emergency services dealt with the incident.
Police Appeal
Police are now appealing for witnesses to come forward following the unexplained fire at the former Inverkeithing Primary School.
The incident was reported around 9.20pm on last night in the Roods Road area of the town.
No one was injured in the fire but one person in the nearby area was taken to hospital as a precaution for smoke inhalation.
Roads were closed and residents were advised to keep their windows shut.
There is currently no access to the car park in Hill Street as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continue to tackle a few remaining pockets of fire.
Detective Inspector Kelly McEwan of Dunfermline CID said: “We would like to say thank you to the local community for their co-operation in assisting officers with road closures, some of which remain in place.
“The fire is currently being treated as unexplained and we are working with our colleagues in the Scottish Fire Service to investigate the full circumstances.
“We would like to speak to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the area, both before and after the fire took hold, or who has relevant information relating to our inquiries.
“I would urge anyone with information to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 4020 of Monday 19th November.”
At its height, up to 40 firefighters and nine fire engines were mobilised after the alarm was first raised and crews worked through the night to tackle the large fire.
Local Senior Officer for Fife, Stirling and Clackmannanshire Roddie Keith, who is the officer in charge of the incident, said: “This has undoubtedly been a challenging and protracted incident, and there is still work to do as our crews remain on scene.
“There will be disruption around Inverkeithing and I would advise the public to avoid this area at this present time.
“I would like to thank our firefighters on the ground and our Operations Control firefighters for working effectively with our partners throughout the night and into today.”
