Arson Fire Does $200,000 Damage at El Cajon School

Arsonists set fire to an elementary school in El Cajon Thursday, causing widespread damage to the school’s administration building.

El Cajon police have made no arrests in the early-morning blaze, which charred the Chase Avenue Elementary School administration building at 195 E. Chase Ave.

Authorities estimate the fire, which was ignited in the school’s health office with cleaning chemicals, caused an estimated $200,000 in damage. The arsonists also ransacked two portable classrooms that house special education students, but no other classrooms were damaged.

The vandals entered the building by forcing open a window, said Donna Adams, spokeswoman for the El Cajon Fire Department.

The fire was reported at 2:32 a.m. Thursday and brought under control about an hour later, Adams said. Three fire supervisors, 34 firefighters, six fire engines, two trucks and other equipment were brought in to fight the fire, which was not fully extinguished until 5:10 a.m.

The firefighting force included personnel and equipment from the La Mesa and Santee fire departments, the San Miguel Fire Protection District and the Bostonia Fire Protection District.

Despite the smell of smoke in the air, students and teachers attempted to go about business as usual, Principal James Raymond said.

Although they were very concerned about what happened, “the kids were very well behaved, and the teachers were calm,” Raymond said.

Children in the two special education trailers were given the day off Thursday and today while the mess is cleaned, he said.

The school has an enrollment of 715 students, but about 523 are attending this session at the year-round school, said Yvonne Johnson, spokeswoman for the Cajon Valley Union School District.

Raymond said the school had not received any threats before the incident, and the malicious vandalism may have been the result of a frustrated burglary. Schools don’t have much to steal, he said.

An inventory has not yet been taken, but nothing substantial such as computers were stolen, he said.

Raymond said there was considerable fire, smoke and water damage to the administration building which houses his office, the vice principal’s office, health office, reception area, teacher workroom and teacher lunchroom.

The health office, where the fire was set, and the nearby reception area suffered the most fire damage, he said. Screens on two computer monitors were also broken, he said.

Student records were singed, but most are intact and will be cleaned and recopied, he said.

Surveying melted light fixtures, charred furniture and smoke-damaged offices, Raymond estimated it will be six months to a year before the building can be reoccupied. In the meantime, administrators will move to the library until the district can order a portable trailer, he said.