Student suspected of causing bathroom fire at Newport Harbor

A Newport Harbor High School student is in police custody this morning after authorities said she caused a fire in a girls’ restroom on the campus.

Authorities suspect the girl, a 17-year-old Costa Mesa resident, deliberately set a roll of toilet paper on fire in a girls bathroom in one of the portable trailers on campus, which caused about $500 in damage to the stall walls, officials said. It doesn’t appear she was doing something else, like smoking, when the fire started, Sgt. Evan Sailor said.

The fire started about 10 a.m. this morning and was put out in about 20 minutes, fire officials said. No one was injured and students were evacuated for nearly half an hour before returning to class.

Members of school security and Newport Beach police officer Rachel Johnson were able to identify the girl and take her into custody.