A classroom at Horizon Elementary in the 27600 block of 144 Ave. SE, was damaged by smoke and fire early in the morning, Jan. 18, after someone broke into the school and ignited paper products.

Firefighters from the Kent Regional Fire Authority responded with Kent Police and Kent School Security at 2:45 a.m., after they received both intruder alerts and a fire alarm from the school.

The first fire units found a classroom charged with smoke from a burning bookshelf that contained children’s schoolwork. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, smoke damage had extended throughout the classroom and into the common-area of the school. There is no school today, due to the Martin Luther King holiday.

The classroom where the fire started had a broken exterior window.

Police and school security searched the building for suspects, vandalism, or other fires, but were not able to find anything or anyone.

Contact the Kent School District for more information about the classroom and school. Anyone who has information on this crime should contact Kent Police immediately.