Second blaze chars school restroom

Danette Goulet

CORONA DEL MAR -- Police are searching for the person responsible for

starting a fire Tuesday morning in a boys’ restroom at Corona del Mar

High School.

It is the second fire in as many weeks at the school. Each fire was set

by igniting a roll of toilet paper in a boys’ restroom.

“Some kid decided after doing it one time that it was fun and he’d do it

again,” said Don Martin, principal at Corona del Mar. “We haven’t caught

him yet.”

Martin said they have not had problems of this kind before last week’s

incident.

“But vandalism is a fact of life on high school campuses,” he said.

The first fire was set at about 8:30 a.m. Thursday, causing $200 in

property damage and a lot of smoke, said John Blauer, spokesman for the

city of Newport Beach Fire and Marine Department.

Between 10 and 11 a.m. Tuesday, smoke billowed out of another boys’

restroom. This time, the fire caused about $100 in damage, Blauer said.

In both cases, the damage was limited to a charred toilet paper dispenser

with fire damage to the surrounding walls.

Both police and school officials said they believe a male student is

responsible for the fires.

“We haven’t arrested anybody,” said Lt. Fred Heinecke, the Newport Beach

Police watch commander on duty Tuesday morning. “Certainly the officers

are out at the scene investigating.”

The incident is being investigated as an arson.

In the meantime, Martin said, the staff at the school has stepped up

their vigilance, closing all but a few restrooms and reminding teachers

not to let students out of class to use them quite so often.

If the student responsible is caught, he or she will face a five-day

suspension for vandalism and destroying school property, and be ordered

to pay restitution for the damage, Martin said.