Air conditioning fault caused fire at Mossbourne school – not arson

Mossbourne Community Academy. Photograph: Tarquin Binary / Wikicommons

A blaze at Mossbourne Community Academy last year is believed to have been caused by a fault with an air conditioning unit, according to the London Fire Brigade.

On Saturday 7 December 2024, around 70 firefighters tackled a fire at the secondary school, which is run by the Mossbourne Federation.

At the time, the London Fire Brigade said: “The cause of the fire is under investigation.”

When asked by EastLondonLines if arson had been ruled out, a spokesperson said it had not yet been possible to pinpoint any one cause.

Two classrooms and one washroom on the second floor of a purpose-built block were completely destroyed by the blaze.

Around 19 pupils and staff, who were at the school on that Saturday, were evacuated from the ground floor. No injuries were reported.

The Fire Brigade was first alerted to the fire shortly after 9am and scrambled ten fire engines and crews from Hackney and surrounding areas to the scene.

The fire was under control by 11:34am.

One of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders was used as a water tower.

Mossbourne Federation is the subject of an ongoing Local Safeguarding Practive Review, and has also launched a KC-led probe into its complaints procedures.