Adventure Playground in Eltham North destroyed by suspicious fire
FIRE has gutted a popular playground in Melbourne’s northeast overnight, with 15 metre high flames completely destroying the beloved community project.
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A POPULAR playground in Melbourne’s north east has been completely destroyed by a suspicious fire overnight, leaving a damage bill of more than $100,000.
The Adventure Playground in Eltham North was gutted by fire in the early hours of Saturday morning with firefighters describing 15 metre flame heights.
CFA responded to the blaze on Wattletree Road about 1.15am and found the 30-year-old playground fully alight.
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Fire quickly consumed the mostly wooden structure, with rubber matting and plastic also fuelling the flames, firefighters told the Herald Sun.
It took seven fire trucks and 40 firefighters almost two hours to bring the fire under control.
Senior station officer Michael Doreian said the blaze was “incredibly intense”.
“It’s a total loss,” Mr Doreian said.
“It’s an extremely popular playground, especially at this time of year for families who want to picnic in the park,” he said.
“The fire is being treated as suspicious … these types of fires don’t just start by themselves,” Mr Doreian said.
Fire investigators and Victoria Police will begin investigating the cause of the fire today.
The adventure playground was built in 1995 through a community project.
