Days after a new playground on the north side was destroyed in a fire, the Edmonton Police Service has confirmed the blaze was deliberately lit.
“This was a very careless and reckless act by the individuals involved in this event. We are very fortunate that this school did not catch fire. It was very close proximity to this playground,” said EPS Insp. Eric Stewart.
The fire was set around 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 12, at St. Pius X Catholic Elementary School near 122 Avenue and 128 Street.
Our Global 1 news helicopter captured the scene, where thick, black smoke billowed into the sky.
The fire was put out about 20 minutes later, but it left the playground severely damaged.
“This fire did catch quickly. We can’t say what caused it — if there’s an accelerant there as of yet — but definitely whether it be the material or just all the factors involved that caused this to catch so quickly, but it did go up pretty fast.”
The school itself was untouched but two slides, a bridge, two canopies, and aluminum structure and the rubber paving surface were all destroyed.
In his 22 years of policing, Stewart said he’s never seen a case of a playground being lit on fire.
“It’s not a common occurrence that we see here in Edmonton,” Stewart said.
The playground was replaced just last year, following a nearly 10-year effort by the school’s parent association to raise $250,000 for the project, which was also supported by a pair of provincial government grants.
“It’s a very unfortunate set of circumstances that now the kids that attend this school and all the community members that put effort into putting this playground up don’t have the playground in the next school year.”
Stewart said police have viewed surveillance video in the area.
“CCTV footage in general, throughout this investigation, has been very helpful not only on the school, but also other CCTV footage we’ve been able to capture this event. It’s been very helpful for us.”
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Police said the playground will remain closed until further notice, as investigators look into the arson.
Stewart didn’t reveal much information about the suspects, only saying police are confident the fire was arson and there were multiple people near the playground when the fire was lit.
“Individuals who were around the area at the time of this event, just prior or just after, have information that’s going to be helpful to our investigation,” Stewart said.
“And I will also say individuals that are responsible for this event know who they are, know what happened, and I encourage them to come forward and talk to the police about this.”
The school said operations for a daycare and summer camp programs at the school will continue as planned with safety protocols in place, including air-quality monitoring to ensure the safety of people on-site.
The Sherbrooke Community League and St. Pius X Parent Association have launched a fundraiser to help repair and rebuild the playground, with a goal of $50,000.
Anyone with dash camera or security camera footage from the area of 122 Avenue and 128 Street between 7 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. on Saturday morning are asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.
Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.
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