Two separate fires at Los Angeles-area schools on Thursday evening have triggered investigations as authorities seek to establish whether there is a connection between the incidents and if arson is involved. According to CBS News Los Angeles, the first incident involved a fire at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, which firefighters responded to around 9:30 p.m., finding ablaze emanating from the second floor of a building.
The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that the fire appeared to have started on the roof during construction, as tar caught on fire and quickly spread. The flames were largely subdued by 9:40 p.m., with smoke detected in the hallways. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation, as outlined in a statement by LAFD. It took 38 firefighters a swift 20 minutes to extinguish the flames, which were confined to the roof and an exterior wall.
A second outbreak occurred approximately two hours later at Oakwood School in North Hollywood. Fire crews, arriving at around 11:20 p.m., encountered white smoke issuing from a building's wall. Firefighters accessed the fire by cutting through a door, managing to quickly put out the fire. As with the Notre Dame High School fire, there were no injuries, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to a KTLA report.
Currently, officials are tasked with determining if there is any relation between the two fire incidents and whether they were intentionally set. Damage to the affected structures was apparent, but comprehensive inspections and investigations are underway to assess the full extent of the destruction. No suspect information or motive has been released as of yet.
