The fire which gutted Usworth Secondary School, 50 years ago this month

On November 9, 1974, firefighters tackled a blaze which was so severe, it left the building in a state of tangled girders.

Most of the school was destroyed

These Sunderland Echo archive scenes show the extent of the fire which wrecked a huge part of the complex.

At the time, the school was one of the few in the area to have a swimming pool.

Firefighters pumped water from the pool to help put out the blaze.

Fire described as a ‘disaster’

It had to be rebuilt and was reopened in July 1978, when headmaster GE Curtis reflected on that ill-fated evening which he described as a ‘disaster’.

The whole contract to rebuild the school had cost £1.25 million.

It also meant that 1,400 pupils had to be given alternative classrooms and 35 mobile rooms were used to accommodate staff and students.

We want to know if you were a pupil, staff member or firefighter at the time and what you remember of the fire.

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]