Wai'anae schools hit by arson wave
By James Gonser
Advertiser Leeward Bureau
WAI'ANAE — Officials believe someone is angry and taking out their frustration on Wai'anae Coast schools.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
At least four fires have been intentionally set at Wai'anae High and Wai'anae Elementary schools since May 24, according to the Honolulu Fire Department. The most recent incident occurred at about 11:30 p.m. Monday at Wai'anae High, when a portable building used for special-education classes was set afire, causing about $40,000 damage to the building and $1,000 to the contents.
Wai'anae High School vice principal Gary Fujii stands in the doorway of portable classroom No. 22, which was recently set on fire, melting chairs and the overhead fan.
"Somebody is angry about not graduating, I think," said Nancy Hirahara, principal at Wai'anae Elementary.
Wooden jalousies had been removed from a window and the door was ajar when firefighters arrived. An ignitable liquid had been poured in the classroom, according to Fire Department spokesman Capt. Richard Soo.
"It burned out part of a wall and the floor," said Andy Nii, acting principal at the high school. "I really feel for the teacher. They lost most of their instructional materials."
Soo said firefighters have been tracking the blazes.
"It seems to be escalating and residents should be aware of the situation," Soo said. The other arsons include:
• 12:30 a.m. May 25: A fire was set in the high school's Dumpster.
• 8:03 a.m. May 24: Firefighters responded to the high school to put out a fire in a portable building. The fire caused about $1,200 damage. Custodians at the high school found a stack of papers under another portable classroom, suggesting that someone was preparing to set it on fire but may have been scared off, Soo said. Earlier that day, at about 3:35 a.m., firefighters responded to a call that smoke was seen on campus, but no fire was found.
• 12:03 a.m. May 24: Someone piled some papers to start a fire at Wai'anae Elementary, this time on the stairs of a wooden building, the oldest structure on campus. The fire caused an estimated $1,500 damage.
Hirahara, of Wai'anae Elementary, said it is fortunate the fire didn't spread.
"These kids live with this kind of vandalism all the time," Hirahara said. "We've had trash fires in the bins."
The stairway, which leads to the school's learning resource center, is now blocked off and there is extensive smoke damage to the walls.
Hirahara said the elementary school is lucky because it has homes on two sides and parents help keep watch over the school at night.
"I think maybe somebody heard them and switched on a light and scared them away," Hirahara said.
Rodney Goo, with the state Department of Education's Safety and Security Services, said a security company has been hired to patrol Wai'anae schools at night. The patrols will continue through July.
"Every year when May comes around, I increase all the services because there are more incidents this time of year." Goo said. "We have students not graduating or criminals trying to break into the rooms before school ends."
Nii, of Wai'anae High, said the school held its graduation ceremony Friday.
