Luke O’ReillyA blaze at the old Foyle College building in Londonderry is being treated as arson, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has confirmed.
NIFRS said it received the first reports of a fire at 19:31 BST on Saturday and it was extinguished at 07:53 BST on Sunday.
More than 40 firefighters tackled the blaze with seven NIFRS appliances and two aerial units.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said no injuries were reported but “extensive damage was caused”.
The Duncreggan Road has now reopened to traffic.
Veronica McLaughlin, a resident on Duncreggan Road, told BBC News NI she had to close her windows because of the smoke.
“Those responsible don’t understand or appreciate the history behind this site,” she added.
The Foyle College site had been earmarked for a new indoor sports arena for Ulster University’s Londonderry campus.
Mark H Durkan, an assembly member for the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), said: “There are big plans for this site and I’m confident there will be no delays because of this.
“A fire on this scale is incredibly dangerous.”
Sinn Féin councillor Grace Uí Niallais condemned those behind the arson attack “which has caused significant damage to an historic building”.
“I want to pay tribute to the teams of firefighters who worked to bring the blaze under control,” she added.
