Arson Fire Damages Franklin Elementary School In San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA – A predawn arson fire caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage Monday at a Kensington-area primary school.

Someone ignited clothing hanging on a rack outside a multipurpose building at Franklin Elementary School about 5:30 a.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

The blaze spread to a lost-and-found bin, created enough heat to shatter several windows, "heavily charred" an adjacent wall and caused moderate smoke damage to the auditorium-cafeteria structure, SDFRD spokeswoman Monica Munoz said.

The non-injury fire, which did not disrupt classes at the Copeland Avenue campus, caused about $20,000 worth of damage to the exterior of the building and destroyed roughly $1,000 worth of contents, according to Munoz.

Investigators had scant leads to work with in their efforts to determine who sparked the blaze.

"There are no witnesses and no suspects at this moment," the spokeswoman said in the late afternoon.

By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock