By Belinda Nolan
POLICE are on the hunt for arsonists after a fire caused more than $250,000 damage at the former Kealba Secondary College.
Fire crews from St Albans and Sunshine were called to the scene shortly after 4pm on Saturday after smoke and flames were seen coming from the disused school on Driscolls Rd. Up to 50 fire-fighters using 15 appliances battled the blaze for almost 20 hours. Police were also dispatched to the scene after the fire was deemed to be suspicious.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Andrew Zammit told Star fire-fighters’ suspicions were aroused after discovering the fire had been lit in two areas of the school. “It wasn’t a working college so the gas was turned off and we believe there was no power connected as well so all the usual causes of accidental fire were absent.
“On first arriving at the scene we found fires in two separate areas which is also unusual.”
The school was closed down last year after it merged with Brimbank and Deer Park Secondary Colleges to become Victoria University Secondary College.
