Fire destroys playground equipment at Wichita elementary school

Wichita school district officials say a fire Wednesday destroyed playground equipment at Enders Elementary School, including a handicapped-accessible swing set that was installed last month.

“The equipment is a total loss,” said district spokeswoman Susan Arensman. “We are working with the Wichita Fire Department as they conduct their investigation into the cause of the fire.”

Enders, 3030 S. Osage, is near 31st Street South and Seneca and serves about 460 children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

The fire caused an estimated $150,000 in damage, said Stuart Bevis, acting fire marshal for the city of Wichita. The cause remains under investigation.

Arensman said the fire destroyed early-childhood equipment, including swing sets and slides, on one of the school’s two playground areas.

A fire at Wichita’s Adams Elementary School in January caused about $20,000 damage to playground equipment and prompted school officials to close the playground to the public after school and on weekends.

Investigators found incendiary materials at the Adams playground and determined that fire had been intentionally set. The playground equipment was replaced at Adams, 1002 N. Oliver, within a few weeks.

This story was originally published July 26, 2017 at 9:43 AM with the headline "Fire destroys playground equipment at Wichita elementary school."