Car Fire at PaliHi

Last Thursday at approximately 1:30 p.m., just before the Temescal Canyon High School graduation, an arson-suspected fire erupted in a black 2004 Escalade ESV that was parked in the lower lot at Palisades High School. There were no occupants and no injuries. Two adjacent vehicles were damaged: a white 1996 Volvo 850 and a gray-and-blue 1987 Nissan Sentra. Firefighters from Station 69 in the Palisades responded to the fire. It was quickly put out, and after some preliminary investigation, firemen determined that the cause of the fire was arson. The fire is currently undergoing investigation by the L.A. Fire Department arson unit. The fire damage to the Escalade was extensive. The entire interior was burned out, the seats were burned down to the frame, the roof was warped from the heat of the fire, and the windows all melted away. Surprisingly, the front and undercarriage of the car were in very good shape. The engine block was almost completely intact, and the hood only had some minor paint damage on the upper edges. The tires were all intact, including the spare mounted on the underside of the back of the vehicle. The Temescal Canyon High School graduation was part of graduation ceremonies for nearly 100 continuation schools in the LAUSD, and more than 1,000 students were in attendance in the football stadium.