October 21, 2026
Exterior of a modern high school building with a large 'Samohi' sign, fenced grounds and trees.
The fire was quickly extinguished by staff.

A small fire broke out in the girls pool locker room at Santa Monica High School Wednesday evening, leaving smoke damage and shutting down the space until further notice.

The fire started around 5:07 p.m., Principal Marae Cruce told families in a message.  It was quickly extinguished by school staff.

No students were inside when the fire began, according to Cruce.

Santa Monica firefighters arrived shortly afterward to clear smoke and investigate. A corner wall sustained smoke damage, and district facilities crews were onsite clearing the remaining smoke, Cruce said.

The girls locker room in the pool area will stay closed until further notice, with coaches expected to provide affected students with more information.

The cause of the fire was not disclosed.

The full message from Cruce follows:

Dear Samohi families,

At approximately 5:07 p.m. a small fire started in the Samohi girls locker room. According to school staff no students were in the locker room when the fire started and staff immediately responded extinguishing the fire.

I would like to thank the Santa Monica Fire Department who responded shortly after quickly to help clear the smoke and investigate the scene.

The locker room has some smoke damage to a corner wall and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Facilities team is onsite clearing the remaining smoke.

The girls locker room in the pool area will remain closed until further notice. The Samohi coaching staff will reach out with additional information for the girls during the closure.

Sincerely,

Marae Cruce
Principal

Sean Daly
Sharing is caring...