Classes To Resume Despite Suspected Arson At Oakland School
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Classes will resume at a Rockridge middle school in Oakland where a suspected arson fire overnight left the cafeteria unusable.
The cafeteria in Claremont Middle School was heavily damaged in a two-alarm fire reported at 1:49 a.m., fire officials said. The school is located at 5750 College Ave., near the Rockridge BART station.
Firefighters arrived quickly from the station next to the school and contained the fire to the cafeteria, according to the fire department. It was under control at 3:10 a.m.
There were signs of forced entry to the building, Oakland Unified School District spokesman Troy Flint said this morning. Police are investigating the fire as a possible arson.
While there was no structural damage to the school, the cafeteria was totally destroyed, Flint said.
"It's not going to be usable anytime soon," he said.
Oakland fire Battalion Chief Geoff Hunter estimated the damage at $1 million.
While school was closed today for Presidents Day, the school district inspected the utilities and determined there was no damage to the electric system or running water, Flint said.
With no damage to the utilities, the school will reopen normally Tuesday, according to Flint.
For the rest of this week, lunch will be served in brown bags prepared off-site and brought to the campus, Flint said.
Starting next Monday, the district plans to cook hot meals at a temporary kitchen on the campus where they will prepare food transported from the kitchen at Oakland High School, Flint said.
No firefighters or civilians were injured in the blaze.
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