Investigators Probe Fire At Seymour Playground

A fire damaged the playscape behind LoPresti Elementary School Friday afternoon.

The fire didn’t set itself — so police and the fire marshal’s office are investigating.

It’s not an accident,” said Fire Marshal Paul Wetowitz.

Dogs from the state fire marshal’s office trained to sniff out accelerants were called to the scene as part of the investigation.

However, it is unclear what was used to set the fire.

The playscape is in the middle of a wooded area behind the elementary school at 29 Maple St.

The fire was reported at 12:50 p.m. Thick black smoke could be spotted from a distance, as readers on the Valley Indy’s Facebook page pointed out.

The playground was installed in 2008.

Most of the $23,000 structure was paid for by a state grant, but LoPresti parents raised several thousand dollars that went toward the purchase, said Jason Avery, a former president of the LoPresti Parent Teacher Association.

The playground has been vandalized several times over the years, Avery said. Friday’s incident was the worst.

This was a pretty substantial playground. It’s sad, a lot of hard work and fundraising went into this thing. The kids just loved being up there,” he said.

Avery said he believes the fire damage will be covered by insurance and replacement parts will be ordered. The repairs could cost between $5,000 and $10,000.

Wetowitz could not comment as to whether there were any witnesses.

The playscape measures 20 feet long by about 10 feet deep. It has slides, riding seats and climbing frames, all of which were damaged by the fire.

Board of Education members could not be reached for comment Friday.

Here is a larger photo of the damage:

Playscape Fire

Here is a photo sent in from Debra Roberts-Elder, via her son, Brad, taken from a distance:

firedistance

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