Police Scotland is actively investigating what they describe as a deliberate fire that broke out at Dyce Primary School in Aberdeen on Saturday afternoon, marking another incident in Scotland’s ongoing challenge with school-related arson.
Emergency services responded to the blaze at the Gordon Terrace facility around 3pm on October 11, 2025, with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service initially deploying two engines before escalating response to include additional units and a height appliance. The fire required firefighters to access the school’s roof using ladders to assess damage, though no injuries were reported during the incident.
Investigation Progress
A Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed the criminal nature of the investigation, stating: “Around 3pm on Saturday, October 11, 2025, police were made aware of a fire at a school on Gordon Terrace, Aberdeen. Emergency services attended and the fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. There were no reports of any injuries. The fire is being treated as wilful and officers are following a positive line of enquiry”.
The designation of “wilful” indicates investigators have found evidence suggesting intentional fire-setting, a classification that typically emerges from specific forensic findings at the scene or witness accounts.
The incident at Dyce Primary occurs against a backdrop of significant fire risks facing Scottish educational institutions. Recent data from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service indicates that approximately one in seven Scottish schools operates at high or very high fire risk. A 2019 assessment of 470 schools found 66 facilities (14%) classified as high risk, with three additional schools rated as very high risk.
Aberdeen City has historically maintained fire-raising levels below the national ten-year average, according to council data. However, recent Police Scotland statistics reveal concerning patterns in the North East Division, where over 80% of accused individuals in wilful fire-raising cases are male, with the majority aged 18 years or under. Common targets for deliberate fires include bins, vegetation, paper, and vehicles, though educational facilities represent a particularly high-impact category.
School Profile and Community Impact
Dyce Primary School serves as the sole primary education provider for the Dyce suburb, feeding students into nearby Dyce Academy. The single-storey facility, located at the eastern end of Gordon Terrace, accommodates approximately 401 pupils with a teacher-to-pupil ratio of 16.9. The school operates from a building bounded by residential properties and Central Park, with multiple access points serving the local community.
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Broader Security Challenges
The fire investigation comes during a period of heightened security concerns for Aberdeen schools. Recent data shows violent incidents against Aberdeen teaching staff increased by 25% between 2024 and 2025, with 928 reports of violence recorded in the first quarter of this year alone. While these statistics primarily concern interpersonal violence rather than property damage, they reflect broader challenges facing educational security in the region.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service operates specialised Fire Safety Support and Education (FSSE) programmes targeting young people involved in fire-setting behaviour. These interventions recognise that deliberate fire-setting often begins with low-cost targets before escalating to higher-value properties, making early intervention crucial for prevention.
