The fire which gutted Usworth Secondary School, 50 years ago this month
One of Washington’s darkest days happened 50 years ago when Usworth Comprehensive School was destroyed in a fire.
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.
Tell us more
We want to know if you were a pupil, staff member or firefighter at the time and what you remember of the fire.
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