December 11, 2003

“This young man and the others have thrown their lives away for one senseless moment that they’re going to regret for the rest of their lives.” – Drama teacher Steve Dini

Students confess to arson in Pioneer High five-alarm fire

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

Despite a five-alarm fire and 50-foot flames that consumed the performing arts center at Pioneer High School Sunday evening—causing an estimated $1 to $2 million damage—no one was injured, none of the 1,200 students were displaced and all attended classes as usual the following morning.

Fear quickly spread as many suspected the fire was deliberately set and might be linked to a string of seven other Bay Area school fires in the past two months that have been ruled suspicious, including the most recent arson fire that devastated Gardner Academy in Willow Glen.

In a shocking turn of events one day after ruling the fire an accident, San Jose Police pulled 18-year-old Pioneer student Marco Horta Flores out of class and arrested him after he confessed to deliberately setting the blaze. According to fire department spokesperson Allison Cabral, Flores admitted starting the fire near the vending machines but denied any involvement with the other school fires.

Several hours later, police arrested a second suspect, a juvenile male, in connection with the blaze. According to Cabral, the former Pioneer student has also fully admitted responsibility for the fire.

Cabral says that fire investigators believe both young men were equally involved in setting the fire. While Flores remained in custody on $50,000 bail and was arraigned Thursday on felony arson charges, it is not yet known how the juvenile suspect will be charged.

Flores now also faces expulsion. “It’s a typical process we do with zero-tolerance disciplinary action,” says Karen Fuqua, school board supervisor of public relations. “When a major incident is reported, the process automatically begins.”

Fuqua also announced plans to step up security at all 45 schools in light of the past two school fires in the district and despite budget shortfalls. “It’s a huge strain on us,” she says. “We have deductibles that will have to be met and we are in a definite budget crisis right now.”

Although initial reports stated that the fire was accidental and caused by faulty wiring in a vending machine, San Jose Fire Department arson investigators, the San Jose Police Department, the Santa Clara County Arson Task Force, and ATF representatives continued to pursue leads that led to the arrest of the two suspects.

According to a reliable source who chose to remain anonymous, Flores, a special education student, was alleged to have been drinking with some friends Sunday evening when they dared him to set fire to an announcement board outside the performing arts center. The growing inferno quickly got out of control, and the suspects supposedly panicked and fled the scene after trying unsuccessfully to put it out. Reports also indicate that residents in the area saw kids running from the school before they heard the sirens, but didn’t specify how many.

“Those statements have not been verified,” says Cabral. “I’m sure that the students who were arrested were interviewed and I’m sure that they probably gave more information than I was given. I only know what the investigators told me.”

Drama teacher Steve Dini says he wouldn’t be surprised if more arrests are made in light of the two students already in custody. “They’re very brave in front of their buddies, but when they’re getting questioned face to face by a cop, they’ll give up their grandmother. I think there’s going to be several who are going to go down with them. This young man and the others have thrown their lives away for one senseless moment that they’re going to regret for the rest of their lives. But I forgive him for what he did. I just thank God no one was hurt or killed.”

Initially, Dini did not recognize Flores, but then remembered having him in a beginning drama class as a freshman. “I remembered his face but not exactly how he was in class,” he said. “That probably meant he was real quiet.”

The fire comes as a huge setback for the school as most of the drama department’s props and costumes as well as their lighting and sound equipment was paid for by booster club funds and ticket sales over the years. “They were the ones that really put this performing arts center together,” replies Cabral. “When you have that much vested interest in any type of effort, it’s a tragic loss for everyone.”

“It could have been a disaster,” Cabral adds, referring to the 43-year-old school. “But we had 105 firefighters and 30 pieces of fire apparatus out here. The fact that they were able to keep it to that building and not have the canopy that stands right next to it and the rest of the school go up is remarkable.”

“I certainly expected much worse when I got here,” says Principal Barbara Lepiane. “We were very fortunate.”

The burned building housed the school’s kitchen, cafeteria, performing arts center, band and choir classes, teacher’s lounge and radio station. Although most of the damage was contained to the stage, cafeteria and theater areas, water and smoke damage forced the halting of the food service program that also serves Almaden, John Muir and Reed elementary schools, but was expected to resume within the next couple of days, said Lepiane.

In the midst of the flames, the school radio station, saved in part by a brick wall and metal door, managed to stay on the air until the plug was pulled on the power around 10 o’clock in an effort to prevent further spread of the fire through the wiring.

Vice Mayor Pat Dando toured the water soaked remains with fire officials early Monday and said that she was thankful no one was injured, commending the fire department for their quick response and dangerous work getting onto the roof and venting the ceilings while the fire raged inside.

“Our firefighters did a tremendous job,” she said. “We know they’re good, but when we see them in action, it reinforces how lucky we are to have such a great fire department. Otherwise there would have been far more damage done.”

In light of the two arrests, Dando is troubled by the fact that the fire was caused by students who attended the school, but stresses the need to move on. “It’s very sad,” she admits. “But we need to start thinking about rebuilding the drama department. I have asked Mr. Dini to let me know how and when I can help in any way.”

It could have been much worse. Normally, the week following Thanksgiving marks the opening of the school’s major fall production. Yet for the first time in the history of the school’s drama department, this year’s schedule was moved up, with their final performance of Agatha Christie’s “The Mouse Trap” on Nov. 22. According to Dini, the timing was a blessing.

“This is the first year we’ve done the fall show early,” he said. “Usually we do it this week and would have opened Thursday night. We would have been wiped out. But I’m trying to put a positive spin on this for the kids. They’re going to react to this the way I react to it and if I take it with a little bit of humor and a lot of determination, then they will too.”

True to his word, in an announcement to his advanced drama class on Monday, following a tongue-in-cheek casting call for “Smoklahoma” and “Backdraft, the Musical,” Dini stressed the importance of what remains in what he fondly calls the magic factory. “The program is singed a little bit, but not dead,” he asserted. “It is made up of people, not the building and not the materials. The memories don’t burn up. We will continue and it will be show business as usual.”

“They couldn’t have picked a more family-involved place to destroy,” replied Leslie Hanlon. “It was not just another classroom. It was almost as bad as watching your own home burn up.”

Leslie and her husband Mike are members of The Glue Factory, an all parent performing group started seven years ago to raise money for the center. “My daughter Sarah was in the drama department and now my son Matthew is too, so it’s important to this family,” she added. “We just hope it doesn’t take as long as everyone fears to get back on track. But we’ll get everything back to the way it was, maybe even better.”

“I was hoping that it wasn’t the PAC room because it was all done with personal money, not district money,” replied Matthew Hanlon. “It’s such a disappointment that this has happened. But we’re still going to go out and perform.”

“I was so sad because this was the only place where I actually felt I had a belonging,” said 11th grade drama student Leslie Pryor. “But at least I’ll still have the opportunity to be involved.”

Fellow classmate Cyndy Gutierrez hails from a theater background and considered the drama department her home away from home. “I know how hard Mr. Dini and all the previous students and parents worked to raise the money,” she said. “I really felt at home in the PAC and it’s sad to see that it’s gone.”

With 20-25 seniors in the program this year, many are concerned with the fate of the spring musical, their swan song with the school. Dini assured his class that the show will go on. “We’ll either rent equipment and do it outside or we’ll find another theater,” he said. “We’ll do it somewhere in some capacity, but we’re not going to call it off.”

Despite the fire, the drama club’s traveling road show, “Honk, Jr.” a condensed version of the Broadway hit, kept a prior commitment to perform at Simonds Elementary School on Tuesday. “It went very well,” replied Dini. “The costumes and sets smelled like smoke, but they squirted them with Febreeze and went on.” The event is one of approximately 20 free shows each year held at various elementary schools and convalescent homes as part of an ongoing community outreach program.

Now the situation is reversed and the community is reaching out to Pioneer, responding with well wishes, monitory donations and a flurry of calls from schools and churches willing to donate the use of their facilities for future performances—all in an effort to let the show go on.

With a $100,000 deductible and damage estimates in the millions, Dini admits there’s a long six- to 18-month road ahead, but says it is rebuilding time. “Sometimes, when you get knocked down, you see what your character is like,” he exclaims. “We’re going to take this as a challenge and come back stronger than ever.”