The playground at Twin Lakes went up in flames Monday evening just before 6 p.m., and Capital City Fire/Rescue firefighters believe it was an act of arson.
Assistant Fire Chief Ed Quinto said CCFR is treating the fire investigation under the assumption that it was intentionally set.
Witness reports said the fire spread quickly and then completely engulfed the playground in a matter of minutes. Area resident Marina Lindsey was among those who saw the fire when it first began, and she said it was “very small” when she saw it and that it started in the boat structure. She said she saw several children in the playground at the time, but wasn’t sure if they had any involvement.
Throngs of spectators crowded around the playground Monday evening, as firefighters knocked down the blaze. The fire began around 5:45 p.m. and was largely extinguished by 6:30 p.m. The fire engines poured water over the playground, which has a rubber ground and many structures that are made out of recycled materials.
“It’s like a big tire fire,” Quinto said on scene. “It will be burning for a while.”
The playground appears almost totally destroyed. Quinto put the damage estimate over $250,000.
A giant plume of smoke billowed over the area, attracting the crowd of local residents. Many were emotional, and one woman commented it’s like watching her childhood go up in flames.
“It is so sad,” Lindsey said. “It was such an amazing project.”
The playground was built about a decade ago, as a community project. It was a big undertaking at the time, and volunteers raised the money to fund it.
Vehicle traffic was shut down on Glacier Highway during the incident.
