Playground fire investigation ongoing

Kids who played at the park are disappointed

July 14, 2011|By Kelli Stopczynski (kstopczynski@wsbt.com>)

SOUTH BEND – Fire investigators are being tight-lipped about what may have caused a popular playground on South Bend’s west side to burn. They also stopped short of calling the fire suspicious.

Regardless, local kids who used that playground are disappointed. Crews were first called to the playground at Belleville Park, just off Mayflower Road in South Bend Tuesday afternoon.

Yellow tape and barricades now surround the charred debris that used to be a prized playground.

“I saw a big cloud of fire and I was shocked,” recanted Emma Rybicki, 8, who visits the playground often with her mom Leann and the other kids her mom babysits.

Watching one of her favorite places burn wasn’t easy for Emma.

“I was crying,” she said. “I was really sad because that was the only park close to us.”

Leann Rybicki wants to know who or what started the fire and why, but that’s one question fire investigators say they can’t answer just yet. Even though the playground was only six years old, firefighters say the heat of the day and temperatures well into the 80s Tuesday probably helped it along.

“Obviously if it was cooler, it might not have burned as fast,” said South Bend Fire Battalion Chief Carl Buchanon. “But it seemed like it was burning pretty hot and pretty fast.”

Valerie Malecki is one of hundreds of volunteers who helped build the park through the Rotary Club of South Bend in May 2005. All the materials and time it took to build the park were donated.

“It’s a beautiful park and it’s a shame, a shame,” Malecki said.

She’s also one of many people wondering ‘what’s next?’

“We’re going to work with the city, see where they want to go, work with our board and see where board and club members want to go and if it can be put together if anything,” said current South Bend Rotary Club President Dave Fischgrund. “I really have no answers at this point.”

But one thing is clear. Valerie, Emma and many others who take so much pride in their playground want to see it come alive with kids and laughter once again.

“I’ll be back if they need me,” said Malecki.

“I just feel really bad and I wish they would rebuild it,” echoed Emma.

South Bend Parks and Recreation Director Mark Bradley told WSBT it’s too soon to know if the playground will be rebuilt, but the city has undergone deep budget cuts the past few years and there just isn’t extra money lying around for an expense like this.

|

|

|