Loma Prieta School Fire Under Investigation

Two schools were closed for today as firefighters investigate a suspicious two-alarm fire in Santa Cruz County, a fire official said.

The blaze was reported at a Loma Prieta Joint Union School District building at 23800 Summit Road around 11:10 p.m. Sunday, Cal Fire Assistant Chief Robert Sherman said. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from a building split between a gym and a community center, Sherman said.

The blaze was inside the roughly 6,000-square-foot community center, he said. The gym was not involved in the fire but sustained interior smoke and fire damage, according to Sherman.

About 45 firefighters responded to the blaze, which was contained at about 5:40 a.m. today, Sherman said. No injuries were reported. The fire was deemed suspicious because it started outside of the building in an area without any electrical equipment, he said.

Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire, according to Sherman.

Firefighters from the Central Fire Protection District of Santa Cruz County, Scotts Valley Fire Protection District, Felton Fire Protection District, Santa Clara County and Santa Cruz County fire departments responded to the blaze, he said.

The school district’s Loma Prieta Elementary School and C.T. English Middle School are located near the center and have been closed for today because of the debris and air quality from the fire, said Eileen Bevans-Franks, administrative assistant to the district’s superintendent.

About 500 students attend the two schools, Bevans-Franks said.

The district managed the community center, which was used for district music and art classes and community recreational programs, she said. Musical instruments, art materials, computers and electronics were a few of the items kept in the community center, she said. A Santa Cruz County sheriff’s substation was also housed inside the community center and was damaged in the fire, sheriff’s Lt. Kelly Kent said.

No deputies were assigned to the substation, which was used as needed for personnel to write reports, meetings with witnesses and mainly to keep in touch with the community in the area, Kent said.

--Bay City News

--Imge via CalFire