Windsor playground damaged by fire as officials investigate cause
A fire damaged the playground at Poquonock School in Windsor on Monday afternoon, prompting an investigation by Windsor police and fire investigators into what caused the blaze.
Windsor Public Schools said there were no students or district programs at the school when the fire happened, and no one was hurt. The district is now working with Windsor police and has turned over security camera footage as part of the investigation.
Witness Adam O’Grady said he first noticed smoke rising from the area near his neighborhood.
“You see smoke billowing a couple hundred yards in the air. Went down and took a look and no firefighter was there yet,” he said.
O’Grady also recorded video showing flames burning on and around the playground equipment.
“A lot of fire on the ground, on top of the equipment and a lot of smoke,” he said.
Another video captured the playground engulfed in flames. After the fire, the structure appeared twisted, most likely from the heat. Later in the day, parents who brought their children to the popular playground found it closed and surrounded by yellow tape.
Mark Zanghi, who visited the playground later, said the fire was surprising.
“It’s wild. I mean first thought is alright, is it possible the mulch started on fire on its own but it seems kind of interesting,” he said.
Windsor Public Schools said it is still determining how much it will cost to repair the playground.
“We recognize that playground structures of this nature require significant time, planning, and financial resources to replace, and we will continue evaluating all available options as we move through that process,” Windsor Superintendent Dr. Noha Abdel-Hady said in a statement.
O’Grady said he is still trying to understand how the fire may have started.
“It’s kind of fishy. It’s kind of strange in a playground where there should be no smoking or anything that could potentially cause a fire,” he said.
In a post on Facebook, the Windsor fire marshal says it is also investigating the cause of the fire.
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