The local playground Greenbriar Park was hit by a devastating fire believed to be arson on May 7 that destroyed the main playground and caused heartbreak around the Potomac community.
The fire in May is estimated to have caused about $1 million in damage, but no one was injured during the catastrophe. “The burning of the Greenbriar Park was an extremely unfortunate event that made me feel upset that the children could no longer use it. I was just relieved that no one was hurt during this tragedy,” junior Krish Balkee said.
The playground at Greenbriar Park was a staple in the community and its destruction has hurt park users. “It made me feel really sad because that place held a lot of childhood memories and is a destination homecoming picture spot,” junior Aava Nikakhtar said.
In response, the Montgomery County Parks Foundation is working to raise the funds needed to restore the park to its original state. People are encouraged to donate to the Greenbriar Park Playground Rebuild program to help reconstruct all that was lost in the fire. “I would support rebuilding it as it encourages more kids to spend time outside rather than inside. It’s definitely horrible how one person decided to rob the kids of a place of fun,” junior Rick Guo said.
The police department believes this to be an act of arson and has opened an investigation in hopes of tracking down whoever destroyed this beloved park. “Nothing has been ruled out but one of the leading theories is that it was arson or illegally set…we are working very aggressively to get to the bottom of it,” Fire dept. spokesperson Pete Piringer said in an interview with 7News.
Police said it could be possible that someone could have seen something the night of the fire that could help identify the arsonist. They are urging anyone with information to contact the MCFRS Arson Tip Line at 240-777-2263 or Park PD at 301-949-8010.
Greenbriar’s main playground will remain closed for the foreseeable future. The smaller playground designated for children between ages two and five was untouched by the fire and will continue to be used. “I would say that sometime over the winter or by next spring we’re hoping to have that playground back in operation,” Montgomery Parks Deputy Director Gary Burnett said in an interview with MoCo360.
Greenbriar Park was built in 2016 on 25 acres of land and features picnic areas, basketball courts, a soccer field and more. In 2018 it was selected as a Bethesda Magazine Best of Bethesda winner for its beautiful scenery and fun activities. “I enjoy Greenbriar Park because it provides a fun place for children to socialize,” Balkee said.
According to Burnett, this is not the first time that a park has been vandalized like this. As a result, community members are worried that something like this could happen again in the future.
