Fire Investigation -

Who Did It And Why?

By Andrew Gorosko

Police and fire officials this week attempted to piece together the puzzle posed by the destroyed Adventure Quest playground at Treadwell Park, which was consumed by a fire that police believe was set about 10 pm October 25.

“We’re actively investigating it. It’s been turned over to the detective division,” Acting Police Chief Michael Kehoe said October 30.

“It’s preliminary right now. We’re working on getting answers,” he said. “We’re trying to put a puzzle together,” he said. Solving the case may boil down to establishing a motive for someone setting the fire, he said.

A surveillance camera positioned at the nearby park swimming pool captured evidence of the fire, indicating the blaze occurred about 10 pm, according to police. The automatic camera photographs the area around the clock.

No one reported the fire while it was underway on the foggy night. It occurred in an isolated area of the Sandy Hook park, not in plain sight from Philo Curtis Road.

Parks and recreation department workers discovered the remains of the charred, molten playground about 7:30 am the following morning.

Just three days earlier, volunteers had installed the aluminum, steel, and plastic playground, which was nearly complete. The playground, which was designed for children ages 2 to 5, was handicapped-accessible. It consisted of a series of ramps, platforms, slides, and roofs. A community fund drive had raised the $15,000 cost of the equipment.

(See related story on donations to rebuild the playground)

Acting Chief Kehoe said police are analyzing the images recorded by the surveillance camera. Evidence gleaned from the tapes could be essential in solving the crime, he said.

Detective Robert Tvardzik said police are thoroughly investigating the fire. “We’re checking everything,” he said.

Det Tvardzik declined to comment on whether evidence of a fire accelerant, such as gasoline, had been detected at the scene.

Evidence collected at the fire scene has been sent to the state police forensic laboratory in Meriden for analysis, he said.

Detective Sergeant Henry Stormer, who also is a deputy fire marshal, is heading the fire investigation for police. Solving such cases is difficult, he said.

Sgt Stormer said the fire burned for an hour or more before it burned itself out by exhausting its fuel supply.

After the plastic objects ignited, they melted and dripped to the ground in puddles where they refueled the blaze until the plastic burned itself out. The heat from the burning plastic caused vertical aluminum playground supports to melt.

The fogginess of the night tended to keep down the smoke, making it less visible from a distance, Sgt Stormer said. The scattered ambient light of security lighting at the nearby swimming pool also tended to mask the intense light of the flames, he said. Also, the windows of homes in the area probably were closed due to the time of year, preventing residents from smelling the fumes of the plastic-fueled blaze, he said.

The crimes committed at the playground constitute reckless burning and first-degree criminal mischief, each of which are Class “D” felonies, and which are each punishable by one to five years in prison and/or up to a $5,000 fine.

Det Tvardzik said October 31 that police have received information in the investigation that they are reviewing.

Sgt Stormer said November 1, “We’re looking into several leads.” The case may be solved or remain unsolved, depending on what happens in the investigation, he said.

Deputy Fire Marshal Bill Halstead was one of the first investigators on the scene on the morning of October 26. Police patrolman Louis Ferreira also responded to the call.

Mr Halstead said October 31 that he was told the gate to the park, at the driveway entrance at Philo Curtis Road, inadvertently had been left open overnight on October 25-26.

The dual-section swing gate can be secured in a closed position with a chain and padlock. The gate is supposed to be locked overnight.

Mr Halstead, who also is the Sandy Hook fire chief, said there are several ways someone could have entered the park to set the fire. The park could be entered via the driveway at Philo Curtis Road, via a road under construction in a new residential subdivision nearby, or from the Sandy Hook School property, he said.

Police are doing much investigatory work on the case, he said, but noted that such cases are difficult to solve.

Unless there is a witness to the crime, or someone admits to having set the fire, or someone who knows who set the fire comes forward, it can be very difficult to solve such a case, he said.

Mr Halstead said anyone with information about the crime should contact the police.

The Connecticut arson tip award program offers a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest or conviction in an arson fire. The toll-free telephone number is 800/84 ARSON.

Mr Halstead said the playground fire has drawn widespread attention due to the nature of the incident.

“The equipment was for handicapped children. A lot of people put a lot of time and effort into that [project],” he said.

The deputy fire marshal said it is unclear how many people may have been involved in destroying the playground. Such a destructive act makes one wonder who would burn down a playground and for what reason, he said.