Banning High School arson fire causes $100K in damage

BANNING, Calif. (KABC) -- An arson investigation is underway in Riverside County following an early morning fire at Banning High School.

Firefighters were alerted around 1 a.m. Thursday after a fire alarm went off at the school in the 100 block of W. Westward Avenue.

When crews arrived on scene, they found piles of paper which were used by vandals to get the fire started.

The smoke triggered an overhead sprinkler system, which in turn caused considerable water damage, mostly in the administration building. No classrooms were affected.

The damage is estimated to be around $100,000.

Suspect information was not available. There are cameras on campus, but footage was not immediately released.

If you have any information about this incident, you're urged to contact Banning police at (951) 922-3170.