'Suspicious' Fire Set in Students' Lockers

Arsonists might be to blame for a small fire that spread to several boys' lockers at Santa Monica High School Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

Ten lockers were destroyed and the locker room, located in the south side of the school's gymnasium, sustained moderate smoke damage.

Arson investigators from the Santa Monica Fire Department and Santa Monica Police Department were still investigating the exact cause Tuesday evening.

"We put the fire out and we don’t have a cause. It’s under investigation," said fire Capt. Judah Mitchell.

Smoke was first reported spilling out of the locker room at 1:55 p.m. When crews from the Santa Monica Fire Department responded, they found a small fire burning in three lockers, according Mitchell.

In a statement, the police department called the fire "suspicious."

Part of the campus was cordoned off with orange cones and police tape, and fire engines and patrol cars were parked nearby until about 4 p.m.

Principal Laurel Fretz did not return messages from Patch about the fire.

Mitchell said he wasn't sure if any student activities were canceled as a result of the fire. "I'm assuming the fire alarm went off and they did the normal evacuations," he said.