FIRE SET IN HIGH SCHOOL RESTROOM

Lorain – Students and faculty of Lorain Southview High School were evacuated Monday morning after a fire was started in a bathroom.

Southview Senior Mario Ramirez said he had left his Physiology class to go to the restroom and discovered the fire. “I walked down the hall to the bathroom and I could see that it was dark in there – I checked to see if it was locked because I thought the light was off. It was unlocked so I opened it and started to go inside and then a bunch of smoke came out and hit me – got into my eyes, I couldn’t see. I backed out and then a security guard came up and asked if I was ok – I told him I was.”

Ramirez said that the guard then opened the door again and saw the fire and pulled the alarm. “Everybody evacuated the building at that time and they kept us outside for like an hour and a half. I’m just glad it was a nice day.”

Lorain Firefighters responded and extinguished the blaze quickly with a fire extinguisher. City employees tested the hydrant directly in front of the school as the suspects were still sitting in patrol cars and found the hydrant to be inoperable. The Fire Department has the hydrant now listed as out of service.

A school official told the media that 3 males were being “secured” by Lorain Police Officers for the investigation. Three men were taken away in three separate Police cars from the school for further questioning.

Another witness who only wanted to use her first name, Rochelle, is also a senior at Lorain Southview – she said this is the second bathroom fire that caused an evacuation. “Last Friday there was a fire in a bathroom, in that one though it was a Hispanic girl that set the fire. This one today it was like three or four Hispanic boys that started the fire. I think in both cases they really need to get in some kind of trouble – this is arson and they should pay for that crime.”

In the incident that occurred last Friday, a female student has been suspended for 10 days and has been referred for expulsion. The same fate waits for those who set the fire today according to school officials.

There were no reported injuries in either fire.


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