City of Santa Rosa, CA, CivicReady Public Safety Alerts & Notifications
Fire on campus of Maria Carrillo High School
Juvenile arrested for arson on campus of Maria Carrillo High School
On Thursday February 23rd, 2023 at 2:31 p.m., Officers from the Santa Rosa Police Department and Santa Rosa Fire Department responded to a report of a fire on the campus of Maria Carrillo High School. Smoke and flames were reported to be coming from the rear of the Art Building. Additional reports came in to dispatch of smoke entering the building where students were working.
Officers arrived on-scene and met with Santa Rosa Fire personnel who had extinguished a large appliance fire along the side of the building. The school fire alarm system had sounded during the incident and students were able to evacuate their classrooms and move to safety. No students or staff were injured as a result of the incident.
Working alongside school administrators, SRPD officers were able to determine two students had jumped the gated area around the building. While behind the building, one of the students decided to light a leaf on fire, and then proceeded to place the ignited leaf into an unplugged exterior refrigerator. Doing this caused the fire to grow and ultimately engulf the entire appliance, which was positioned up against the building. Staff members on the school grounds immediately responded with extinguishers and were quickly aided by fire personnel, who were able to fully extinguish the fire.
The suspect who ignited the fire was identified as 16-year-old Santa Rosa resident and student on the campus. The name of the juvenile suspect will not be released due to their age. The juvenile was subsequently arrested and booked into the Juvenile Justice Center for violation 451 PC – Arson.
The Santa Rosa Police Department is committed to working collaboratively with Santa Rosa City Schools to emphasize the wellness and safety of all students on school campuses throughout the district. Anyone with additional information regarding the case is encouraged to contact the Santa Rosa Police Department.
Media inquiries may be directed to Sergeant Matt Crosbie at (707) 543-4012; or MCrosbie@srcity.org
On Thursday February 23rd, 2023 at 2:31 p.m., Officers from the Santa Rosa Police Department and Santa Rosa Fire Department responded to a report of a fire on the campus of Maria Carrillo High School. Smoke and flames were reported to be coming from the rear of the Art Building. Additional reports came in to dispatch of smoke entering the building where students were working.
Officers arrived on-scene and met with Santa Rosa Fire personnel who had extinguished a large appliance fire along the side of the building. The school fire alarm system had sounded during the incident and students were able to evacuate their classrooms and move to safety. No students or staff were injured as a result of the incident.
Working alongside school administrators, SRPD officers were able to determine two students had jumped the gated area around the building. While behind the building, one of the students decided to light a leaf on fire, and then proceeded to place the ignited leaf into an unplugged exterior refrigerator. Doing this caused the fire to grow and ultimately engulf the entire appliance, which was positioned up against the building. Staff members on the school grounds immediately responded with extinguishers and were quickly aided by fire personnel, who were able to fully extinguish the fire.
The suspect who ignited the fire was identified as 16-year-old Santa Rosa resident and student on the campus. The name of the juvenile suspect will not be released due to their age. The juvenile was subsequently arrested and booked into the Juvenile Justice Center for violation 451 PC – Arson.
The Santa Rosa Police Department is committed to working collaboratively with Santa Rosa City Schools to emphasize the wellness and safety of all students on school campuses throughout the district. Anyone with additional information regarding the case is encouraged to contact the Santa Rosa Police Department.
Media inquiries may be directed to Sergeant Matt Crosbie at (707) 543-4012; or MCrosbie@srcity.org