Crime & Courts

13-year-olds charged with starting fire that destroyed Juneau playground

A Juneau playground funded and built by the community was destroyed in an arson fire Monday, authorities said.

Two boys were charged with starting the fire, according to a police statement early Tuesday.

The 13-year-old suspects were interviewed after the blaze destroyed the Twin Lakes Playground, police said. Both were held at the Johnson Youth Center on felony charges of first-degree arson and criminal mischief.

Capital City Fire Rescue assistant chief Ed Quinto said an initial call of smoke at the playground came in around 5:45 p.m. Monday. Firefighters were on scene within minutes, but the park was already engulfed in flames, Quinto said in a phone interview from the scene.

Fire crews are fighting a large fire at project playground.

Posted by Capital City Fire Rescue on Monday, April 24, 2017

It took firefighters about an hour to halt the flames, and they were continuing to extinguish hot spots as of 9 p.m. No one was hurt, according to Quinto.

He said the playground was built of recycled plastics, and its turf was made of rubber, both of which contributed to the swiftness of the fire's spread.

"It was like fighting a tire fire," he said.

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Dan Jager, Capital City Fire and Rescue's fire marshal, said the blaze began in "a pirate-ship structure" near the front of the playground. It was fueled by the rubber mulch and wind gusts in the area.

Quinto said it was quickly determined the fire was human-caused. Fire and police officials received an outpouring of community help to find those responsible, from images and video of the fire posted on social media to witnesses who spotted the teens involved.

"They basically told us their story and that's what led to them getting charged," Jager said. "At this time, we believe it's just the two."

City and Borough of Juneau officials said in a Tuesday statement that they were "deeply saddened" by the playground's destruction, urging residents to avoid visiting the scene of the fire due to latent fumes and "an odor of burned rubber."

"Parks and Recreation has secured the entrance and other openings around the perimeter of the playground," city officials wrote. "Any equipment still standing is burned up and will likely crumble."

The park was completed in June 2007.  Jager said the site was a community project, which began with backers surveying local children to ask what they wanted in a playground. Once the custom order for equipment was made, the pieces were installed with donated labor.

More than $1 million was raised by the community for its construction. Given the extent of the damage, Quinto placed the estimated cost of the fire at that price point.

"The majority of the park is destroyed," he said.

City officials are discussing the fire with the site's insurer, who will likely cover cleanup and some reconstruction costs. Donations for a new playground are being taken by the Juneau Community Foundation, and a meeting with free child care has been scheduled at Centennial Hall in Juneau from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2017.

Chris Klint

Chris Klint is a former ADN reporter who covered breaking news.

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