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School fire may be arson, officials say Strange object on roof raises questions By JONEL ALECCIA Unusual objects found on the roof of Hoover Elementary School have prompted officials to investigate whether a Wednesday fire may have been arson. "There's a possibility; you always have to check it out," Medford Fire Marshal John Pierce said Friday. "We're investigating outside tampering, but there are no witnesses. We don't know exactly yet." Pierce declined to describe the objects found on the roof of the school at 2323 Siskiyou Blvd. "There's no matches or butane torches," he said. But Hoover Principal Phil Meager said one object, apparently constructed of duct tape, raised suspicions. "There was no fuse or powder, but it looked weird," he said. "And it was right at the origin of where the fire was." Pierce and Meager said that children frequently climb onto the roofs of Medford schools, including Hoover, and leave odd objects. "It's not just here," Pierce said. "On top of every school, there's kids." Pierce stressed that investigators, including insurance adjusters for the Medford School District, have not ruled out an electrical equipment malfunction as a possible cause. The early-morning fire severely damaged the school's cafeteria and gymnasium. Estimates of repair costs were not yet available, Pierce said. Focus of the investigation remains an area between the roof and the ceiling above a child development classroom, Pierce said. An Oregon State Police arson specialist ruled out the presence of fire accelerants. "Something let go in there," Pierce said. "Whether it's electrical or whether it's from an outside source, we don't know." Reconstruction already has begun, Meager said. Crews from Batzer Inc. of Medford will work through the summer to repair the damage. Meanwhile, three summer school programs serving at least 85 children have been relocated in the aftermath of the fire. Hoover was set to host three summer school classes run by the Medford School District, as well as programs run by the Rogue Valley Family YMCA and the Asante Child Development Center. The district sessions, with about 40 children enrolled, will be held at Kennedy Elementary School starting Monday morning. "It means there have been a lot of parents to contact at the last minute," said Karen Robertson, who coordinates the summer classes. Kennedy School also will be the new site for the YMCA summer program, which attracts some 45 kids a week, said coordinator Cynthia Lallo. "We're flexible," she added. A new site had not been chosen for the Child Development Center program as of Friday, according to Asante spokesman David Preszler. Organizers were hoping construction might allow them to return to the school by late June, when classes are set to begin. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.