Father Held in Two Fires at Daughter’s Preschool

The father of a Clairemont preschooler was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of setting two pre-dawn fires at his child’s school in the past week, fire authorities said.

Authorities would not disclose the motive behind the alleged actions, but said the man was arrested at Metro Arson Strike Team headquarters after being taken there for questioning.

Kirt Raft, 27, was booked into County Jail on suspicion of two counts of arson, Metro Arson Strike Team Capt. Jim Smidt said.

The Wee Care Preschool was scheduled to reopen Tuesday in its new location next door to the original school at 3580 Mt. Acadia Blvd., Smidt said. An arson fire Friday shut the school, and school officials spent the long holiday weekend moving into the new classrooms, he said.

However, a second blaze Tuesday morning at 3578 Mt. Arcadia, squelched the reopening plans. Firefighters were called to the school about 4:15 a.m. and brought the blaze under control by 4:34 a.m., Smidt said.

The cause of Tuesday’s fire was still under investigation, Smidt said. Smoke and fire damage was estimated at $150,000, he said.

Flammable liquid was used to start Friday’s fire, which caused about $40,000 damage to several classrooms in the two-story wood-and-stucco building, Smidt said. It took 41 firefighters about half an hour to contain that blaze, which broke out at 3:30 a.m., he said.

One firefighter suffered minor injuries battling last week’s blaze, but did not require hospitalization, Smidt said. Separate businesses situated on the second floor of the building also sustained smoke damage.

About 60 children attend the preschool, which has been in business at the Mt. Acadia address for eight years.