Kidspace Museum Hit by 2 Suspicious Fires

Volunteers at the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena were cleaning up Thursday after two suspected arson fires caused an estimated $70,000 in damage to the children’s facility. The first fire broke out about 1 p.m. on Tuesday, a few minutes after a group of 100 children had toured the museum at 390 S. El Molino Ave. A rag soaked with a petroleum product had been ignited in an upstairs office, but was quickly extinguished and no one was injured, said Pasadena Police Detective Brian Schirka.

A second fire, either later that night or early Wednesday morning, was again set near the upstairs office. The smoke set off automatic fire sprinklers, which extinguished the blaze, but they flowed unchecked until 7 a.m., Schirka said. No suspects have been arrested.