A 13-year-old boy is facing a charge of arson in connection with the fire that destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of playground equipment at Tecumseh’s Lacasse Park — a loss that Mayor Gary McNamara says will take months to replace.
“It’s an unfortunate thing,” said McNamara on Wednesday. “It’s going to be out of commission for the rest of the year, and we’ll be into the spring next year before it’s re-opened.”
Heavy smoke drew Essex County OPP officers and Tecumseh firefighters to the park around 5:50 p.m. Tuesday. They arrived to find the playground area already engulfed in flames.
The 13-year-old male suspect was arrested at the scene. He’s expected to appear in court at a later date.
McNamara said the boy appeared to be alone, and he allegedly used gasoline as an accelerant to set the fire.
“It didn’t take long. (The fire) took off and destroyed the equipment,” McNamara said. “The rationale, the ‘why’ — that’s still left to be determined.”
“Sometimes, there’s more than meets the eye. But we’re just dumbfounded. Thirteen is young, but at 13 — you know better.”
The fire-damaged play equipment of the “boundary-free” playground at Tecumseh’s Lacasse Park on Oct. 11, 2017.
The fire-damaged play equipment of the “boundary-free” playground at Tecumseh’s Lacasse Park on Oct. 11, 2017.
Fire damage in the accessible playground at Tecumseh’s Lacasse Park on Oct. 11, 2017.
Weylin Kimble, 2, looks through safety fencing at the damaged “boundary-free” playround at Lacasse Park in Tecumseh on Oct. 11, 2017. Damage has been estimated at $400,000 and a 13-year-old male has been charged with arson.
According to the Tecumseh fire department, the accessible playground’s special composite flooring acted as fuel for flames. Firefighting foam was used to blanket the entire playground and help extinguish the blaze.
Damage costs have been estimated at $400,000.
“That set of equipment is extremely expensive,” McNamara said. “When we first installed it, the cost was in excess of $300,000. Now we have to demolish what’s left, and re-prepare the site for new equipment. The replacement cost will be quite high.”
Asked if the Town of Tecumseh has funds in its budget to rebuild the playground, McNamara said the equipment was insured like other community assets, and he doesn’t anticipate the municipality will have difficulty handling any extra cost.
The large play area was the region’s first “boundary-free” playground. Members of the Rotary Club of Windsor-St. Clair were heavily involved in the playground’s conceptualization, fundraising and installation in 2004.
The Rotary Club’s stated goal was to build a playground that was “designed so that all children, regardless of their level of physical or sensory development, could play together in the spirit of friendship and understanding.”
The Town of Tecumseh and the Ontario Trillium Foundation partnered with the club in funding the project.
McNamara said the playground was popular and used by children of all ability levels throughout the year — even in winter months.
Flames engulf the accessible playground at Tecumseh’s Lacasse Park on Oct. 10, 2017. Photographed by Rochelle Godard.
Firefighting foam blankets the playground at Lacasse Park on Oct. 10, 2017, in this photo provided by the Tecumseh Fire Department.
