KILLARNEY Community College has been forced to close this Thursday following a freak fire that caused extensive smoke damage to the main building early on Wednesday evening.
It is believed that a dust extraction system in the woodwork room, which is attached to the main building, caught fire due to a possible electrical fault and a galvanized steel control unit burst into flames.
The alarm was raised shortly before 6.30pm and quick action by members of the Killarney Fire Service prevented the blaze from spreading through the school.
There was considerable smoke damage caused to a number of rooms and the electricity supply had to be cut off for safety reasons.
It is understood that a significant cleaning process will be required for health and safety reasons and new motors will have to be installed in the extraction system.
The board of management and staff, following consultations with fire service personnel, did not open the school this Thursday and parents, staff and transport service providers were informed through a text-messaging service.
At the same time as the school fire, another unit of Killarney Fire Service was attending a serious road traffic accident in the Loo Bridge area, on the main Killarney to Kilgarvan road.
Two cars were involved in a head-on collision and one of the vehicles flipped over and ended up in a ditch.
The two female drivers, both understood to be from the Kenmare area, were removed by ambulance to Kerry General Hospital but their injuries are not life threatening.
