RALEIGH — Investigators say fires that damaged three Wake County school buses Saturday night were intentionally set. They say someone started the fires by lighting piles of trash inside the buses.

The flames were put out quickly in theLeesville High Schoolparking lot, but the damage was already done.

One of the buses was destroyed, the seats were melted, and the engine ruined. The bus will have to be replaced.

"It was a very suspicious fire," says Wyatt Currin, director of transportation for Wake County Schools. "We did not use the bus. The last time the bus was used was on Friday."

Water will wash away the soot stains in the parking lot, but getting the buses back on the road will take more time and money.

"We'll have to absorb this through our budget," Currin says. "There's no additional funds. There's no insurance, so we'll have to absorb it through our budget."

Damage is estimated at $50,000.

The school system says it has enough buses to get students to and from school.

About three years ago, the school had some buses vandalized, but since then, nothing like this.

"We have some windows broken out occasionally, but it is a rare occasion to have something like this occur," Currin says. Reporter:Todd Hauer