A beloved element of Chastain Park’s playground burned down in a fire overnight, the second major fire to destroy a structure at the park in recent years.
The unique, wheelchair-accessible “treehouse,” built completely out of wood, was destroyed in the blaze, according to a post on Chastain Park’s Facebook page. Representatives for the park wrote in the post they were grateful for neighbors who called 911 about the conflagration. The park said the quick action of its neighbors kept the flames from spreading, saving other parts of the playground.
The cause of the fire is unclear. Police referred questions to Atlanta Fire and Rescue.
Firefighters were called to the scene around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, AFR spokeswoman Alyssa Richardson said. No injuries were reported and the fire remains under investigation, she added. Authorities have not released further information about the incident.
Chastain Park suffered a similarly disastrous fire in 2019 when its historic 1940s-era Quonset hut burned down. The building, known as “The Barn,” served as the headquarters for the nonprofit Chastain Park Conservancy. It was undergoing an electrical system upgrade the week it burned down, organization director Rosa McHugh said at the time.
“Please know that while this beloved historic building served as our headquarters, it will not prevent us from fulfilling our mission for Chastain Park,” the organization wrote in a Facebook post.
In the case of the playground’s treehouse, the park has once again promised to rebuild.
We’re working to learn more.
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