Page One

Smoke, fire reported at Berkeley High

Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday November 15, 2000

The Berkeley Fire Department was called to Berkeley High School to investigate a report claiming that the someone had smelled smoke in one of the buildings At about 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, said Deputy Fire Chief Debra Pryor. 

Pryor said the origin of the smoke was determined to be a burnt piece of paper outside a second story window. She said she did not know in what building the event took place. 

Then again at about 12:20 p.m. Tuesday a “technical arson” took place at the high school. 

Lt. Russell Lopes of the Berkeley Police Department, said someone had apparently broken open a paper towel dispenser in one of the restrooms and lit the towels on fire.  

Pryor confirmed that there was a small fire and that it was started in Portable 1 near the football field. She called both incidents “insignificant.” 

The fire in Portable 1 was put out by a staff member with a fire extinguisher and called in by phone.  

According to Pryor, police reports were filed but it had not been determined whether any suspects had been questioned or whether there were witnesses at press time.