Arson fire damages school gym, injures Pasadena teacher
PASADENA, Calif. - A middle school student in Pasadena is suspected of starting a fire that heavily damaged the school gym and injured a teacher.
A 13-year-old student at Marshall Fundamental School is accused of starting a fire in the locker room Tuesday morning.
The fire was kept mostly in the locker room but the smoke and water contributed to the overall damage… which is estimated at $100,000.
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One teacher was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
The fire department said the fire was a result of arson. The student was detained for questioning.
"Investigators are still working on if an accelerant was involved. The location that the gym mat was in was in the middle of room, leaned up to some lockers. There wasn't an obvious ignition source," said Anthony James with the Pasadena Fire Department.
Parents received text messages and emails about the incident.
"I just think it's weird because I don't know why they would do that. Like why put our school and other people in harm and, like, why put them at risk," said one student.
Some students were moved into the auditorium to resume class. But overall, parents were glad the situation wasn't worse.
"It's terryfing of course getting a message that your kid's school has fire department over there and it might be on fire; you don't know what's going on," said parent David Avila.
Law enforcement continues to investigate the incident.