A BATHROOM hand dryer caught fire in a Wheatley school, causing all pupils to be evacuated. 

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue were called to reports of a fire within the toilet block of Wheatley Nursery School yesterday.

Crews arrived to find the hand dryer fire had already been put out by the caretaker using a fire extinguisher.

Children at the school, which has 49 pupils aged between two and five, had already been cleared from the building. 

Firefighters used a large fan to remove smoke from the classrooms.

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The caretaker was checked over by medically trained firefighters and South Central Ambulance Service also attended as a precaution.

The fire is believed to have started due to an electrical fault.

Incident Commander, Mark Keely from Wheatley Fire Station said: “This incident highlights the importance of having working smoke alarms to raise the alarm to enable a prompt evacuation and ensuring electrical appliance are tested regularly.

"Had it not been for the prompt actions of the caretaker this incident could have had a very different outcome with a fire spreading and putting lives at risk.”

**This article was changed at 3.30pm on 04/07. We were asked to clarify that, contrary to information provided by the fire service, the fire broke out in Wheatley Nursery School and not John Watson School as first reported.**