THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 2, 1995 TAG: 9509020399
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CINDY CLAYTON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
In the past six years, there have been at least seven other school fires in South Hampton Roads:
January 1989
When all the estimates were in from a New Year's Day fire caused by an arsonist at Indian River Junior High in Chesapeake, the damage totaled $1 million. The fire destroyed about half of the building and the rest had smoke and water damage. The blaze forced 1,150 students to study in the school's cafeteria, auditorium and chorus room.
A 17-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the blaze and charged with arson. Officials said the youth had attended Indian River High School.
He also was charged with a fire that caused $12,000 in damage to the press box at Indian River High's stadium in December 1988.
Indian River Junior High (now a middle school) is on Greenbrier Road; Indian River High is on Braves Trail.
May 1990
Two Virginia Beach school fires were blamed on arsonists. The first, at Bayside High School, damaged the assistant principal's office and damaged the general office complex. The school, on Haygood Road, resumed classes because no classrooms were damaged. Fire officials concluded that someone broke out windows and targeted the office.
The second fire that month caused about $7,000 in damage to a portable classroom at First Colonial High School on Mill Dam Road.
October 1991
A fire set in a trash can in a fourth-floor hallway at Norfolk's Maury High School on Shirley Avenue puzzled fire officials who could not determine why the blaze did not trigger alarms.
Fire Prevention officials concluded that either a detector malfunctioned or the amount of smoke was insufficient to set off the device, operated by a photoelectric cell. Damage to the hallway was minimal.
March 1993
Damage estimates topped $500,000 from a weekend fire at Virginia Beach Middle School, in the 600 block of 25th Street near the Oceanfront. The blaze closed the school for three days. Damage was extensive, gutting the main office and a hallway. Computers, telephones, student artwork and furniture were destroyed either by the blaze or by vandalism. Windows were smashed, classrooms ransacked and laboratory equipment destroyed. At least one television set was stolen.
A 14-year-old boy, a former student, was later arrested and charged with one count of threatening to burn and one count of arson to a school.
May 1995
A fire in a storage room at Chesapeake's Western Branch High School caused $15,000 in damage. Fire officials said a student at the school was arrested and charged for causing the blaze. The school is on Terry Drive.
July 1995
The old Norview High School, used more recently as a middle school, was heavily damaged by a blaze caused by a lightning strike. The school, on Sewells Point Road in Norfolk, was slated for demolition to make way for a new middle school.
Officials said the building had already been damaged by vandals during the week before the fire.
Some materials left inside were destroyed; no damage estimate was given. The building had been used by students for more than 70 years. MEMO: Main story on page A1 and related stories on pages A8.
KEYWORDS: FIRE PRINCESS ANNE HIGH SCHOOL by CNB