MOORPARK : Fire Causes Minor Damage at College

A fire that broke out next to the administration building at Moorpark College cracked a window and melted fixtures, a college official said Friday.

The fire, which began about 9 p.m. Thursday, burned a 30- by 50-foot area of ground cover and juniper trees, Moorpark College Acting President Robert Boedecker said.

County fire investigators could not be reached for comment, but Boedecker said the fire may have been set intentionally or may have been caused by a dropped cigarette, because students and staff members regularly smoke outside campus buildings, he said.

The Ventura County Fire Department was alerted to the fire at 9:10, Fire Department spokeswoman Alison Schember said. Firefighters extinguished the blaze by 9:40 p.m., Boedecker said.

Heat from the fire cracked the window in Boedecker’s office and melted three plastic light fixtures, he said.

“I think we were very fortunate that it occurred at a time when the campus was well-occupied,” Boedecker said. College evening classes end about 10 p.m., he said.