Girl, 12, admits to school arson

A 12-year-old girl has admitted setting fire to a Kaikohe classroom that was saved through quick action by firefighters, police say.

The incident at Kaikohe West School on Monday afternoon partially damaged a classroom used by 30 students in Years 5 and 6.

Kaikohe fire crews responded seven minutes after the initial call was put through 111 at 5.22pm.

Chief fire officer Bill Hutchinson said when his crew arrived, the fire had taken hold and was blowing the windows.

They managed to break the front glass door to gain entry.

"It was mainly concentrated on one end of the building and we managed to stop it from spreading."

Although the fire was confined to a wall, books and furniture sustained heat, smoke and water damage.

Detective Patrick Ridgley said the girl admitted lighting the fire and had been referred to Youth Aid.

"She pulled a window and lit the curtains. We knew of her and she was taken in for questioning this morning [Tuesday]," Mr Ridgley said.

"She said she [also] lit three scrub fires in the area."

Northland fire safety inspector Craig Bain said it appeared someone prised open a window and dropped a burning item on to a wooden gymnastics vault horse placed against a wall.

He said the vault horse and a pile of books prevented the fire from spreading quickly.

Associate principal Tracey Simeon, who also taught in the damaged classroom, lost teaching materials she had been collecting for 20 years.

"The fire basically torched my 20 years of teaching," she said.

She said if the fire was left unattended for another five minutes, the building, which was previously used as a hall, would have been completely destroyed.

"Luckily we had a good system and the fire brigade was quick. The heat, smoke and water damage spread to a large area."

Affected students will be moved to a smaller classroom when school resumes on Monday.

Police stood guard at the school on Monday night, while Mr Bain and officers from the Kaikohe CIB began their investigation yesterday morning.

The school caters for just over 350 students from Years 1 to 6.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE