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A fire deemed “suspicious” by police has gutted nearly a quarter of the historic Morningside State School, located in east Brisbane.
The blaze occurred around 3am on Tuesday morning when emergency services were called, however much of the school was already engulfed by the time they arrived.
“We've got three buildings that were interconnected and they were reasonably large structures,” Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) chief superintendent, Lance Duncan, told ABC News.
“There's a lot of smoke still issuing from those particular structures at the moment, so it wouldn't be safe to have the kids here.”
Nearby residents were asked to evacuate their homes while others were advised to stay inside, keeping windows and doors shut to prevent potential smoke inhalation.
Queensland police declared a state of emergency which encompassed Pashen St, Riding Rd, Stephens St and Thynne Rd, at 3.25am, but this was later revoked at 7.30am.
The school has been ordered closed for today but is expected to reopen tomorrow.