Police: Hill District Playground Torched By Arsonist

Story by WTAE

PITTSBURGH — Arson is suspected in a fire that burned a playground in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood.

The fire at Cliffside Park started Wednesday afternoon in the 1700 block of Cliff Street, overlooking Bigelow Boulevard.One of WTAE Channel 4’s Action Cams showed thick, black smoke rising from the heavily tree-lined area.Police at the city’s Zone 2 station said the playground was intentionally set on fire.Play equipment and stick-pads that the equipment sits on were burned.

The flames were so intense at one point that a tree caught fire 10 to 12 feet away, police said.One piece of equipment was badly damaged during the fire, and the people who use the park said they’re angry someone would do something like this to local children.”I was so mad because when my little cousins would come over, we’d go down to the park and play on the slides and the monkey bars. And sometimes they would play basketball,” said Marva Kennedy.No injuries were reported, and no arrests have been made.An estimate of the damage was not immediately available, but police said it will likely carry a large dollar figure.