ORANGE : Reward Offered for Arson Information

The Orange Unified School District is offering a $200 reward for information leading to the identification of people responsible for the Sept. 21 fire at the Peralta Middle School site.

One firefighter was injured in the blaze that destroyed two classrooms and seriously damaged four others. Fire investigators have said that the fire was the work of arsonists.

While a damage report has not been completed, the fire caused more destruction than the district’s insurance policy will cover, said Gayle Wayne, administrative assistant to the superintendent.

In a note to district teachers and students, Supt. Norman C. Guith urged residents to report any information that “helps to make those responsible for this destructive act accountable for their actions. Defacing any Orange Unified school damages not only the reputation of a school but all Orange schools.”

Peralta, which closed in 1987 because of declining enrollment, has been the site of fights and has become a home for transients, officials said. The school, which occupies 22.8 acres next to the Mall of Orange, was recently determined to be surplus property by a district committee. According to recent district reports, the property has suffered $2.2 million in damage since the school closed.

Information about the incident should be reported to Orange Unified teachers, the district Maintenance and Operations Department or the Orange Police Department. The identity of all callers will be kept confidential.