ANAHEIM : Cleanup of 2 Schools Hit by Fire Begins

Crews on Monday began the cleanup of two neighboring schools that suffered fire damage early Saturday in related blazes that officials say were caused by arsonists.

Parts of the administration office at South Junior High School were severely damaged by the fire, a spokeswoman said. Damage at Benito Juarez Elementary School, which is around the corner, was confined to one classroom.

Anaheim Union High School District Supt. Cynthia F. Grennan said it will be several weeks before repairs will be completed at South Junior High. Combined damage at the schools was estimated at $100,000 by fire officials.

Grennan said student health records and the files of South’s speech therapist were damaged and that some information may not be able to be recovered. Also, three classrooms are unusable because of smoke damage, and their students are meeting this week in the cafeteria, library and other classrooms, she said.

The school’s public address and bell systems are also inoperable, she said.

Charlotte Carstens, a spokeswoman at Benito Juarez, said 28 students in a combination second- and third-grade classroom that was damaged were meeting in the school’s library Monday and would be for several days. She said the fire there destroyed several books and learning games.

Police arrested a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old who were detained shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday by firefighters battling the fire at South. Only moments before, the firefighters had responded to another alarm at Benito Juarez.

The youths, whose names were not released because of their ages, are being held at Orange County Juvenile Hall and face arson charges, police said.