Playground fire at Mountain View school draws arson investigation

Anchorage fire crews doused a suspicious fire Tuesday night at the playground of Mountain View Elementary School.

The fire was reported just after 7 p.m., according to Anchorage Fire Department Assistant Chief Erich Scheunemann.

Anchorage Police Department spokesman MJ Thim said police are assisting with what Thim called an arson investigation.

The fire was under control 10 minutes after it was reported and was isolated to a 30-by-30-foot area of rubber playground mulch and equipment, Scheunemann said.

The cause is under investigation.

The blaze marked the second time this summer a suspicious fire has destroyed playground equipment at an Anchorage school.

A fire last month destroyed playground equipment at Gladys Wood Elementary School in West Anchorage.