PORT ANGELES, Wash. — The Dream Playground in Port Angeles was special. It was built by the community, filled with children's play, and destroyed by fire in one night.
A video posted to Facebook shows flames topping 60 feet overnight. Investigators believe the fire was intentionally set and say a teenager is in custody, suspected of arson.
“I’ve spent many thousands of hours on this thing as well, but once it starts to hit you a little bit, you walk around with a lump in your throat and there’s a lot of tears today and a lot of people who are feeling a lot of grief and disbelief that this is possible for this to happen,” said Steve Methner, president of the nonprofit Dream Playground Foundation.
The playground at Erickson Park was first built under the nonprofit's direction in 2002. It was renovated in 2021 and has since played a big role in many children's lives.
“I see a whole bunch of burned structures, which makes me sad because I was born and raised here and I played in this playground when I was a kid and it’s just sad,” said 13-year-old Caymus Johnson.
On Wednesday morning, there was a lot of sadness from both parents and kids for a playground that was so much more than that.
“Some kids may not have a whole lot, so they come here and now that’s been taken away from them. Right at Christmas? I don’t understand,” said grandmother Nancy Woods.
Soon, the tears will dry, sadness will turn to action, and plans to rebuild are already starting to form.
“We’re kind of out here removed from other places and so we’ve got to figure out how to take care of things and we do and so that’s what we did to build this playground and that’s what we’ll do to rebuild this playground,” Methner said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though police say that the 14-year-old boy who was arrested is being held on suspicion of arson.
The boy was seen running about 180 yards from the fire when officers arrived, according to probable cause documents. He told police he was hanging out with friends and went over to the fire to see if everyone was OK. The officer took his photo before letting the boy go.
Another officer recognized the boy from previous encounters with law enforcement, and police went to his home. The boy ran out the back door and fled from police. Officers said he "gave up" at some point, and police took him into custody.
The teen's hair appeared to be singed, and he had burns on his hands, according to probable cause documents. He also had a lighter that appeared to have burnt plastic on it.
The boy's mother gave police the clothes he was wearing when he returned home after the fire, which included shoes with melted plastic on them.
"Let's stand together as a community. Your support and solidarity are invaluable during these challenging times. Reach out to one another, offer a helping hand, and let's ensure that the spirit of our community remains unbroken," Methner wrote in a statement on the nonprofit's website.
Those who would like to help with rebuilding costs can make a donation here.