4 Teens Arrested In Fire That Destroyed Playground

By Anna Deem in News on Nov 14, 2010 7:30PM

On November 4, a fire destroyed a playground at the Alcott Center in Buffalo Grove's park district headquarters at 520 Bernard Dr. Last week, police arrested two 14-year-old Buffalo Grove boys and two 14-year-old girls--one from Buffalo Grove and one from Wheeling--in connection with the fire. The teenagers face charges of arson and criminal property damage in Cook County Juvenile Court. Officials have estimated that it will cost $100,000 to replace the playground. "They started the fire, they said, to keep warm," Buffalo Grove police Cmdr. Steve Husak said Friday to the Chicago Sun-Times. "The fire ended up burning the equipment." Fire department officials said at one point the fire's temperature reached 1,300 degrees--enough heat to burn four aluminum poles.