2 teens arrested in November fire at Ensign Intermediate School
Two teenage boys were arrested Monday on suspicion of starting a fire in November that damaged the gym, girls’ locker room and physical education offices at Ensign Intermediate School in Newport Beach.
Detectives got a break in the five-month arson investigation when a tip indicated that two teen boys had likely started the blaze, police said.
A 16-year-old Newport Beach boy and a 15-year-old Costa Mesa boy were arrested on suspicion of burglary, vandalism and recklessly starting a structure fire, according to authorities.
They were booked into Newport Beach Jail and released to their parents. The boys’ names were not divulged because they are minors.
The investigation began shortly after 4:30 a.m. Nov. 11, when Newport Beach police and fire officials responded to a blaze at Ensign Intermediate at 2000 Cliff Drive.
The school’s gym was engulfed in flames, authorities said. Twenty firefighters from the Newport Beach, Orange and Garden Grove fire departments and the Orange County Fire Authority knocked down the main fire within 20 minutes.
Because the flames had spread into a wall and then into the attic, extended firefighting efforts lasted about an hour, authorities said.
In the weeks after the fire, PE classes were held outside and a Newport Harbor High School student raised money to replace PE shoes for students who lost theirs in the fire.
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
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