Forest school Clarty Commandos which was rebuilt following Storm Arwen suffers devastating fire

Mark Tuff leads the huge clean-up operation.

A forest school which was only recently rebuilt after being wrecked by Storm Arwen has been damaged by a major fire.

Clarty Commandos, based at Howick Hall, helps children and young adults with special educational needs, and who suffer from stress and anxiety.

Created by Alnwick man Mark Tuff, whose son is autistic, it aims to offer “everyone the chance to achieve and develop confidence through outdoor learning”.

Mr Tuff, 53, opened the woodland wonderland in 2018, but the four-acre site was devastated in just a matter of hours when Storm Arwen battered the county in November 2021.

The fire caused enormous damage to the centre of the school, where the fire pit was located.

At least 40 per cent of its trees were broken and structures were blown to pieces by the strong winds. But, thanks to the generosity of well-wishers and a dedicated band of volunteers determined to get the school up and running again, it was eventually rebuilt.

However, on Wednesday night the site suffered a “catastrophic” fire which wiped out the central point of the school, where the fire pit was located. However, the pit had not been lit for about two days, and Mr Tuff has no idea how the blaze broke out.

He said: “We have lost all of our tools, all of our equipment and all my chainsaws, because I’m a tree surgeon as well. Probably about £10,000 worth of equipment.

"There were no flammable liquids stored where the fire started, and the fire pit had not been used for days, so how it started is a mystery.

"The fire service did an amazing job – just got here and cracked on, but it took a number of hours to put out.”

As if the fire wasn’t bad enough, thieves also stole a gas stove from the site, worth £500, a couple of days later.

But the community has rallied round and a GoFundMe page has already been launched by a supporter called Amy R, with the aim of raising £10,000. Almost £6,000 has already been donated, and a local landscaping firm, J Charlton Trees and Landscapes, turned up and cleared the site free of charge on Monday.

A grateful Mark said: “James and his fantastic team offered their services absolutely free. They removed all fire-damaged trees, plus a number of wind blown ones from storm Arwen.

A fundraising campaign has been launched to pay for the repairs and to replace damaged equipment.

“We have been completely overwhelmed by people's kindness.”

Although the task of rebuilding will be a mammoth one, Mr Tuff said he was prepared to go through it again for the people who use his school.

He said: “We work with people like my son, and those with additional needs – and their needs are more important. We have worked with more than 5,000 people in five years and I think it’s a success because it’s a safe haven – a non-judgemental environment.

"They are my motivation. That is what is spurring me on.”

Clarty Commandos has only been recently rebuilt after being damaged in Storm Arwen.

Mr Tuff also thanked everyone who had rallied round him since the fire, and mucked in with the clean-up, adding: “Everyone just started turning up, without being prompted. We have had such a lot of help and support so I just want to say a big shout out to them. I realise we’re not on our own.”

To donate to the GoFundMe campaign, click here