Broome Primary School fire allegedly lit by prison escapee just hours after blaze in jail cell

Updated

A prison escapee has faced court over a blaze which caused millions of dollars in damage to the historic Broome Primary School in WA's Kimberley, with police alleging she set fire to the school just hours after starting another one in a jail cell.

Key points: Police allege Maude Dixon set fire to her jail cell and the school "to aid her escape"

She has made a brief appearance in court after being arrested at a caravan park

The damage bill is estimated at $3–5 million, with temporary classrooms planned

At least five classrooms and offices are believed to have been destroyed when the school went up in flames about 4:00pm yesterday afternoon.

Classrooms were quickly engulfed in the flames and fireballs could be seen exploding several metres around the buildings, some of which date back to 1901.

Police closed roads in the area and ordered members of the public to move back amid concerns about asbestos in the school.

People gathered to watch the inferno, including teachers and parents who were brought to tears by the sight.

Police allege 22-year-old Maude Dixon set fire to the school after escaping from Broome Regional Prison just two hours earlier, when she allegedly lit a blaze inside her cell to distract guards before making her escape.

"It will be alleged the woman was responsible for both fires, and that the fires were lit to aid her escape," a WA Police spokesman said.

The prison cell fire damaged furniture and other items, but police said the damage bill from the school blaze was much greater.

"An initial estimate suggests the fire caused $3–5 million worth of damage, however the extent of the damage is still being assessed and the initial estimate may be subject to change," the police spokesman said.

Accused arsonist remanded in custody

Ms Dixon made a short appearance in Broome Magistrates Court this morning after she was arrested at a Broome caravan park last night.

She has been charged with escaping from custody and two counts of criminal damage by fire — one relating to the school and another to the prison.

Ms Dixon was remanded in custody and is due face court again on March 9.

Roads around the school remained blocked off this morning, with sections of the damaged buildings still visibly smouldering despite overnight rain.

Fire investigators are due to arrive in Broome from Perth to investigate the full extent of the fire.

Demountable classrooms and repairs planned

Education Department spokesman John Marrapodi said officials were waiting for the all-clear from fire authorities before making a full assessment of the damage.

But he said arrangements were already underway to provide the school with demountable classrooms as repairs got underway.

"I don't know at this stage how bad [damage to] the administration building is," Mr Marrapodi said.

"When you look at this level of damage and what it does, how it affects the staff, students and community, you just have to shake your head.

"But now we have to start working towards recovery — that's the most important part — and provide support to the school community."

Mr Marrapodi was unable to confirm if there was any potential asbestos risk from damaged older buildings at the school, but said that would form part of investigations.

Escape 'a failure in our security', prison chief says

Corrective Services Minister Fran Logan said it was too early to say how the prison cell fire was started, but he did make reference to the fact inmates were able to smoke.

Corrective Services Commissioner Tony Hassall said inmates were not allowed to have lighters and were only allowed to smoke in certain parts of prisons.

"But we do allow prisoners to have reading materials, paper, write letters and books," he said.

Mr Hassall said prison officials realised the woman had escaped within two minutes and followed her down the road for a period of time before handing over to police.

"It is highly unusual for women to escape from prisons in this way. In my career, this is probably only the second," he said.

"It is incredibly disappointing she has allegedly committed this offence [at the school] and it is a failure in our security and we have to look at how that's happened," he said.

Mr Logan said the prison was "a very old prison" but denied it was overcrowded.

"There was an escape in 2015, there was an escape in 2016, there was a person who broke into the prison in 2015," he said.

"There are 106 beds in Broome Prison and there are 80 prisoners so it is not a question of overcrowding, it is not a question of short-staffing."



'It's just gone bang': Locals watch school burn

Dozens of firefighters attended the blaze, including a specialist crew from Broome Airport, and some had to use bolt cutters to get into the school, which was closed due to school holidays.

A thick plume of black smoke could be seen from across town, and the nearby Broome Hospital was partially evacuated due to risks associated with the smoke.

Broome Primary School teacher Mary-Jane Crutchley was among those watching and said the fire was "devastating".

"I smelled it from home and then I got texts," she said.

"There's four classrooms, some offices and the staff room [burning]. There's billows of black smoke and good times going up in the air."

Local resident Roly Hutcheson said the fire was enormous.

"It's just gone bang and now it's right through, it's terrible," he said.

"It's the worst fire I've ever seen in a structure. It keeps reigniting, it started in one room and got into the roofs.

"I think any school means something to people who live in a place like Broome."

School gutted weeks before students due back

Another local man, Sam, said it looked as if almost the entire school was affected.

"I was going to the pub to get a beer and saw the smoke, I thought I had better come over and have a look," he said.

"We've nearly watched the whole thing burn since we've been here, it's gutted the joint, you could hear the ceilings and all of that falling out of it before."

Ambulances were sent to the school but there were no reported injuries.

A number of students and other children also witnessed the blaze.

The school's 400 students were due to return on February 1.

Topics: fires, disasters-and-accidents, arson, crime, law-crime-and-justice, police, broome-6725, perth-6000, wa

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