HART, Mich. — Seven school buses belonging to the Hart Public School District were damaged by fire, ultimately damaging four of the buses beyond repair.

The fire occurred just before 4 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8. Hart police believed the fire to be arson-related. The seven buses constitute just over one-third of the district’s entire fleet of 18 vehicles. Only three buses were salvageable, suffering heat damage. One bus, a 2005 model, had not even been used by the district.

The emotional effects of the fire reportedly spread beyond the bus yard. Bob Erickson, director of transportation at the district, said, “The whole community is upset. It is not a good thing.”

Police believed the arsonist, or arsonists, crawled underneath the chain-link fence through an opening, avoiding the barbed wire that ran along the top of the enclosure. School officials estimated about $300,000 worth of damage. However, the buses were insured.

Hart Fire Chief Jerry Schaner said he believed that accelerants were not used to spread the fire since a bus can burn up in three to four minutes. No one was injured during the incident, and firefighters contained the blaze in less than half an hour.

The district borrowed buses from nearby operations until the loss of the vehicles could be recouped. School officials said they didn’t expect problems in covering the routes, although more buses would be needed for extracurricular activities.

Police said that the incident may have been one in a series of arsons. On June 8, exactly two months before the bus fire, a wooden playground was incinerated. Schaner agreed with police suspicions that the fires were related. He added that he was afraid the fires would continue if the criminal, or criminals, were not caught. “I think it will be a building next. It will be a nightmare if they get away with this,” he said.