Toronto police say a fire that ruined a children’s playground at an elementary school in the Don Mills neighborhood is being investigated as a case of arson.
Shortly after 2 a.m. Friday, police and firefighters were called to Norman Ingram Public School on Duncairn Road near Don Mills Road after receiving reports about a fire.
Emergency crews arrived to find the structure engulfed in flames.
Despite efforts to salvage the playground, police say it was completely destroyed by the fire.
Toronto Fire District Chief Stephan Powell told CP24 that the plastic tube slide on the playground had melted by the time they arrived.
Powell said a responding fire captain who responded to the scene suspected that “teenagers” may be responsible for the blaze but did not explain why.
Video provided by a CTV News Toronto viewer shows smoke billowing from a portion of the playground and fire crews subsequently working to extinguish it.
“The area is sparsely travelled by pedestrians and traffic at the hour,” Toronto police wrote in a release on Friday.
“Anyone in the area who may have seen or heard any suspicious activity between 1 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. is asked to call police.”
Investigators are also asking residents with surveillance cameras to review their footage during the same time period to look for any “suspicious activity or vehicles.”
As well, a GoFundMe page has been set up for a new playground to be built at the school.
"Now the school is without a playground," the GoFundMe page said. "This affects the school children at recess, as well as families in our community who use the Norman Ingram school yard as a meeting place on afternoons and weekends."
