Baldwin Park High School Rooms Damaged by Fire; Arson Suspected

An apparent arson Saturday night at Baldwin Park High School caused $170,000 in damages to three classrooms, according to Los Angeles County fire officials, who said one of the rooms was ransacked before the blaze was set.

Firefighters arrived about 9:20 p.m. to find smoke and flames billowing from several windows of a classroom wing of the school at 3900 Puente Ave., about 15 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, county fire Capt. Darrold Swanson said.

“The building had been ransacked before the fire was started,” he said. “There were desks knocked over, things like that. It’s probable that somebody broke in and vandalized the place, then set the fire.”

Swanson estimated damage to the structure at $130,000, with an additional $40,000 to contents at the school, which has an enrollment of about 3,000 students.

School officials could not be reached for comment Sunday. But fire officials said suspicious blazes are becoming more common at high schools in the county.

“From my experience, it doesn’t take much provocation to start a fire like this, whether it’s getting an extra day off for a holiday or just getting a bad grade,” Swanson said. “But we’re 95% sure somebody was trying to make a point here.”