OXNARD : Arson Suspected in Fire at High School

Oxnard fire officials said Sunday that they suspect arson in a weekend fire that burned through parts of three classrooms at Oxnard High School, causing $100,000 in damage.

A team of investigators from the Oxnard and Ventura County fire departments, armed with a dog trained to sniff out flammable liquids, found traces of a flammable substance in the classroom where the fire apparently started Saturday, said Oxnard Fire Battalion Chief Terry McAnally. The fire was reported about 5:45 p.m. and extinguished about an hour later, he said.

He said investigators have no suspects or witnesses in the incident. They found a broken window at the school, suggesting a Molotov cocktail or other inflammatory device may have been thrown into the classroom, McAnally said.

The blaze started near a classroom gas heater and spread through a heating duct to the school’s second floor, causing $75,000 damage to the building and $25,000 damage to its contents, he said.