South Yorkshire Times April 3, 1948

Three Rooms Gutted

Yesterday’s Kilnhurst School Blaze

Believed to have started In the cellar, fire swept the Infants’ Department at Kilnhurst Council School yesterday morning. Although Mexhorough and Rotherham Are brigades were soon on the scene. they were too late to save two classrooms and a store room from being gutted.

Charred Desks.

Mr. Ernest Brook. Hooton Road, Kilnhurst, first noticed the outbreak at 8.15 a.m. He dashed across to the school to find the doors locked. He then warned the caretaker. Mrs. J. License, 10, Hooton Road, and took the keys to unlock the doors.

In view of the size of the fire, he did not go into the building but sent for the fire brigade right away. Mrs. License was more than surprised. She told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter that she was at the school at 7.45 a.m. preparing to start cleaning.”It was alright then” she added.

The only casualty was Divisional Officer J. Howard, who was in charge of the first Mexborough contingent. A ladder on which he was standing, slipped, and in falling he ripped his hand and had to be taken to hospital.

Rotherham Brigade arrived shortly afterwards, and the brigades soon had the fire under control, although one wing of the building was almost completely destroyed. The two classrooms, were just a jumbled mass of charred and broken desks, torn exercise books and broken glass. It will be a long time before they can be restored, even if that is possible.

The headmaster, Mr. G. S. Elliott was naturally extremely upset, but the thing which seemed to cause him a great deal of worry was that the Bond Shield, a football trophy won by Kilnhurst School several years ago, had been badly burned. He has been able to salvage the remains of the shield, however, and is hoping that he can have it repaired.

Faithful to their old school, were several miners of Kilnhurst, old boys of the school, who helped a great deal in moving furniture and books out of reach of the blaze.

The children of Kilnhurst, fortunately on holiday, hurried to the blaze and a large crowd of them soon collected to cheer and wave on the arrival of the fire engine. The children have no need to worry about being transferred to another district; Mr. Elliott says that they have ample accommodation at Kilnhurst.