Arsonists are suspected of igniting yet another blaze at the abandoned St John Fisher Catholic School, which has now been set on fire four times within the past year.
Firefighters responded to the latest incident at the derelict school on Ordnance Street, Chatham, shortly after 12:30 PM today (Sunday). Five fire engines and a height vehicle were deployed to extinguish the flames using hose reel jets.
A spokesperson for the fire service confirmed that there were no reported injuries and noted that while the cause of the fire is still under investigation, it is being treated as suspicious.
This fire follows closely on the heels of another incident at the same site earlier this week. On Thursday afternoon, thick black smoke was visible as crews battled another blaze for over an hour and a half. Again, no injuries were reported, and the cause remains undetermined.
In June, a previous fire at the former school was confirmed to be deliberate. Additionally, last October, around 40 firefighters fought a large blaze that spread across multiple floors of the building.
The former secondary school, which educated students for nearly 60 years, is slated for demolition as part of a development plan that proposes over 100 new homes on the site. The school was put on the market last year after its students moved to a new £40 million single campus at City Way, Rochester, in February 2022.
