Firefighters rushed to a school in Okehampton, Devon, as flames completely engulfed the building. The Promise School was the site of the blaze, with six fire trucks, two aerial ladder platforms, and two water carriers responding to the emergency.
Eyewitness footage captured the intense scene, showing thick smoke and flames bursting from the school’s roof. The Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue service confirmed the ongoing fire at The Promise School in Dartmoor View, Okehampton.
Local resident Glennon Walters described how his young son noticed the dark smoke from their home, initially mistaking it for an industrial fire before realizing it was the school ablaze. Onlookers at the scene expressed shock at the severity of the fire, noting the rapid spread of the flames.
The Promise School, a specialized academy catering to students aged 4–16 with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health needs, suffered a significant setback with the destruction of its newly opened building. The school’s mission of providing tailored education to enhance students’ life skills and independence has been disrupted by the fire.
Firefighters advised nearby residents to stay indoors as they continued to battle the blaze into the evening, deploying water bowsers and implementing road closures for safety. Efforts to extinguish the fire were ongoing, with a focus on protecting adjacent buildings and containing the spread.
The school’s commitment to fostering academic, social, and emotional growth in its students has been severely impacted by the fire, leading to a challenging situation for the institution and its community.
