Roof fire at Rudheath Academy - two years after school was gutted in a blaze

Firefighters discovered smoke in the roof space shortly after 1pm yesterday.

Crews tackled the flames using water.

People inside the school were evacuated as a precaution.

Two fire engines from Northwich and Middlewich attended the incident.

Lee Barber, headteacher of Rudheath Academy, said: "I understand that emergency services on site may have caused some distress and concern, but please be assured that Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service declared it a minor incident and resolved it quickly.

"The fire alarm was triggered by a small amount of smoke in a building where there is ongoing work to a flat roof, away from the main school and not in use by staff or pupils. 

"Evacuation procedures were followed for the safety of the pupils, staff and contractors and we are pleased with the efficiency of this process.

"Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service made the area safe quickly, and by 2.30pm the fire commander had declared the site operational.

"We are completely committed to making this school the best it has ever been and we believe the first-class renovations that continue represent giant strides towards achieving that.

"We hope this very minor incident does not detract from our efforts as we strive to make Rudheath Senior Academy a school the whole community can be proud of. "

The blaze at the former University Cheshire Academy (UCAN) comes just two years after the school in Shipbrook Road was gutted when a deliberate fire started in two separate roofs of the building.

A deliberate fire in the roof in 2018 destroyed one third of the school

A deliberate fire in 2018 destroyed one third of the school

The arson attack in February 2018 caused massive destruction, resulting in around £3 million worth of damage.

The school has since undergone a massive renovation and re-building programme as part of an investment strategy by North West Academy Trust which took over ownership in November 2018.

A phoenix sculpture in the second courtyard, a lasting reminder of how the the school rose like a phoenix from the ashes

A phoenix sculpture in the second courtyard marks the school rising like a phoenix from the ashes

The school has two outdoor courtyards, which survived the devastating fire, and both have now been completely transformed, with a magnificent wooden sculpture of a phoenix now dominating one of them.