Fire investigators examine the scene of the suspicious fire at the former Damascus College site in Victoria Street, Ballarat at the weekend.
A DELIBERATELY lit fire destroyed an old clasroom at the former Damascus College junior campus on Saturday morning.
CFA crews were called to the Victoria Street blaze at 1.45am, where an old weatherboard building was engulfed in flame.
It took eight separate CFA units about half an hour to control the fire, which had started to spread onto adjoining classrooms.
The roof had collapsed by the time the fire was brought under control, leaving nothing in the burnt-out building but an old heater and the frame of a school desk.
Ballarat City Fire Brigade senior station officer Anthony Pearce said there were issues locating enough water to put out the fire, forcing a large number of units to attend.
“It was fully involved and spreading into adjoing rooms by the time the first crews arrived,” he said.
“We needed additional resources because of the water supply issue.”
Fire crews remained on scene until about 4am.
Fire investigators returned the next day to inspect the blaze, where the remains of the building still laid smouldering on the ground.
The former Damascus College site has been vacant for almost two years, since the junior campus relocated and joined the senior campus at Mt Helen. It is owned by a private consortium.
Police have declared the blaze as suspicious and want anyone with information to call 5336 6080.
patrick.nolan@thecourier.com.au