Vandals blow hole in playground with fireworks, closing park for summer, Utah city says
Illegally lit fireworks left a massive crater in a park playground, keeping families out through the end of the summer, Utah city officials said.
It happened Tuesday, July 2, when accused vandals set off fireworks in the play area at Harvey Park in Cedar Hills, KSTU and KTVX reported, citing officials.
The blasts and subsequent fire “resulted in extensive damage” to the playground, officials told KTVX.
Photos of the aftermath show a massive black hole, cordoned off by yellow caution tape, just feet from the jungle gym.
“Due to the significant damage to the play structure, safety netting, support structures, and play surface, portions of the Harvey Park playground will be closed through the end of the summer or longer,” a statement posted on the City of Cedar Hills Facebook page says.
It will cost the city an estimated $100,000 to replace the turf and cables damaged in the fire, officials told KTSU.
Utah has certain restrictions on when and where fireworks can be ignited, according to the state Fire Marshal’s Office.
It’s not clear if an arrest has been made in the Cedar Hills vandalism.
“I am extremely upset by the wanton destruction of our much-loved Harvey Park,” Mayor Denise Andersen told KTVX. “We take these acts of vandalism and destruction very seriously and will work diligently to restore the playground.”
Cedar Hills is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Salt Lake City.
This story was originally published July 4, 2024 at 12:40 PM with the headline "Vandals blow hole in playground with fireworks, closing park for summer, Utah city says."