The important points here are that the fire started in Fornessee, that it was substantial, that firefighters from four towns were involved, and that 8 acres of a 30-acre forest plantation were severely damaged. This was no small fire. This was a major event, and it clearly posed a significant threat to the homes themselves.
You can rest assured that Press and Journals The report concludes:
The children who attend the school, which is for children who need time off, were elsewhere at the time on an afternoon outing.
But one of the Fornesi Girls, who survived a brutal regime that tortured and traumatized girls for three decades, was there that day, and her memory is quite different.
I remember there was a forest fire. I remember being in the house and everyone was talking about it. Mrs. Fletcher was there and said that if the fire got worse we might have to go home. I remember feeling relieved and hoping that the fire would get worse so I could get home to my family. (I know that sounds terrible but I just wanted to get out of there and be with my family.)
All of us girls were praying and talking to each other that we would be able to go home. We were praying that the fire would not be put out. I remember just waiting and waiting to see what was going on. I'm pretty sure we were sent to the dorms to wait. In fact, I know We were sent to our dorms to wait, and I remember we were all just lying on our beds chatting.
Eventually, Ms. Fletcher (I'm not sure if it was her, it could have been another teacher) came in and told us that the fire was out and we weren't going home. I remember crying when I heard the news. I remember we were told to play in the schoolyard because it was safe.
If I remember correctly, we couldn't go for a walk that day because of the fire and had to wait in the dorms. Then, when the fire was out, we were allowed to play in the schoolyard because we hadn't been outside that day. I also remember that the next time we went for a walk, there were burn marks on the ground.
So the actual situation was the exact opposite of the public story. The girls were confined to their rooms, and left to their own devices for hours while firefighters battled the blaze, a rare freedom in Fornessee. A Fornessee girl recalling that day gave further details:
… The day of the fire, there was a relaxed atmosphere in the house. I remember everyone was happy and excited to be able to stay in the dorms. I remember everyone was excited and hopeful that we would be able to go to each other's dorms. It's not something that usually happens. We were really right We weren't supposed to be allowed, but they found out and came and told us we couldn't leave the dorms.
I remember that for the only time, the house was relaxed and we were all excited at the thought (hope) that maybe we could go home. Looking back, it was clearly because the teachers were concerned and engaged with what was going on with the fire, rather than their usual violent attitude.
How did the false story that all the girls had left Fornessey that day get spread? Presumably it was spread by the principal, Pearl Fletcher, and her staff.
Was this false information passed on to the fire brigade? We don't know for sure. Press and Journals The report appears to have come from the fire brigade. It contains many technical details about how the fire was put out. What is known for certain is that 74 girls were trapped in their bedrooms and did not evacuate while four Molotov cocktails raged in the 8 acres of woodland surrounding the house. After the fire was out, a false story was spread to cover up this fact.
Not a one-time event
This bushfire is the first case of reckless endangerment we have uncovered related to fire safety in Fornessee, but it is not the only one.
When originally built, Fornessy's main south frontage featured a prominent curved external staircase leading from the ground floor entrance down to the garden below: this was a major architectural feature and elegantly finished. In an old photo of the house.
These stairs were used as a fire escape, and two of the Fornessy Girls remember a directional sign on the fire escape pointing to this exit.
Another of the Fornessey Girls, who was here in 1978 or 1979, recalled what happened to the stairs:
I remember the stairs the girls used to escape by, which have now been removed.
Now, all that remains as evidence of the renovation is a door hanging in the wall, one floor above ground level.
