COURTESY HAWAII NEWS NOW
A two-alarm fire Friday night at Kahului Middle School on Maui is suspected to be intentionally set.
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Maui police suspect arson as the cause of a fire that resulted in $1.2 million in damage to Kahului Elementary School.
Police said the two-alarm fire started about 9:30 p.m. Friday and was burning in separate areas of the campus. A building in the middle of the campus was partially on fire and a portable classroom closer to the Maui High School parking lot was engulfed in flames, police said.
Seven fire companies responded and brought the fire under control at 11 p.m. The fire was extinguished at 12:50 a.m. Damage to the structure was estimated at $900,000 and damage to contents was estimated at $300,000, police said. No one was hurt.
The state Department of Education said the school will be closed for students Monday. The staff is to report.
A police investigation is continuing.
The Kahului Elementary School PTSA said on its Facebook page that “at least three classrooms were completely destroyed and others (were) severely damaged.”
Fire gutted three classrooms at the same school in 2010.