No tips yet on culprits in two fires

An investigation into the burning of two Little Rock School District playgrounds continued Monday as the school district increased reward money for information leading to arrests.

Little Rock Fire Department Capt. Randy Hickmon said investigators hadn’t received a single tip since playgrounds at Franklin Elementary School and Geyer Springs Elementary School were set on fire July 31 and Aug. 2, respectively. The fires reduced the playgrounds to piles of melted plastic and metal, causing about $ 225,000 in irreparable damage.

The school district is offering $ 5,000 — $ 2,500 per playground — for information “in an effort to generate leads that will result in the apprehension” of suspects, Little Rock School District spokesman Pam Smith said.

Surveillance cameras at Franklin Elementary, 1701 S. Harrison St., recorded three black youths approaching the playground before it burned. One of them was wearing a backpack and riding a bicycle.

The school district released the footage after the fire. It sent a higher- quality recording to local media Monday, seeking help from the public to identify those at the scene.

“It’s important for us to have leads about who was responsible, and also so some level of restitution can be made,” Smith said. “And I guess you could also add, with the hope that it would discourage a potential suspect from repeating this. We’re obviously concerned about the playgrounds in our communities because the communities benefit from the playgrounds, as well.”

Smith added that the district would seek to provide “intervention services” for any minor suspects, to keep them from future trouble.

No footage was available of the fire at Geyer Springs Elementary at 5240 Mabelvale Pike. That playground was built last year. The playground at Franklin Elementary was also “fairly new,” Smith said.

Both sites remained cordoned off Monday.

Hickmon said investigators were unable to determine whether gasoline or other flammable liquids were used in the fires.

“With the playground, it has recycled rubber, which is a petroleum product. So if you take samples, it all comes back the same … We don’t have any indication that there was an accelerant used, but we did find there was a lot of fireworks residue around the playground and there was some cigarette butts,” he said.

Smith said Monday the school district’s insurance options depend on the outcome of a criminal investigation. Whether the fires are connected hadn’t been determined.