FORKS — The area around a sign in front of Forks High School, which is popular with Twilight tourists, was singed in a fire that police say was deliberately set.
A planter box about 20 feet from the Forks High School sign was partially burned in the 2 a.m. Monday fire, Forks Deputy Police Chief Lloyd Lee said.
“The officers were able to quickly put out the fire with the extinguisher that they had in the car,” Lee said.
Upon further investigation, police also found that grass and bushes around the sign were burned.
“It looks like they were trying to burn down that sign as well,” Lee said.
The sign itself was not damaged.
Lee estimated the damage at about $250.
The sign is a popular photo opportunity for fans of the book series and movie because it is the school that the fictional heroine of the vampire novel, Bella Swan, attends.
The sign was replicated for use in the “Twilight” movie — based on the novel of the same name that was set in Forks — and was placed outside of Kalama High School, which was used as the Forks High School in the movie.
No movie scenes were shot in Forks.
Officers also discovered a window had been broken in the portion of the high school that was built in 1925.
That portion of the building has been closed because of its state of disrepair. Voters approved a bond in February to replace the older parts of the high school.
Lee said no suspect has been identified and that no motive was apparent.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to phone police at 360-374-2223.
