San Francisco Playground Damaged in Fire; Cause Under Investigation

A San Francisco children's playground near the Ferry Building will remain closed after a fire late Thursday night badly damaged it, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department officials said.

Firefighters responded around 11:30 p.m. to Sue Biermann Park, located at Washington and Drumm streets.

Although firefighters were able to successfully extinguish the blaze, it destroyed a slide, a pirate ship, and rubber safety surfacing, park officials said.

A separate nearby children's play area at the park was not damaged. However, the entire play area remains closed and parts that were not damaged in the fire may reopen next week, according to park officials.

"This is heartbreaking and infuriating," Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg said in a statement. "This playground was a dream that neighborhood families worked very hard to achieve."

Both the San Francisco Fire Department and the Police Department are investigating what caused the fire.

Sue Biermann Park opened in 2011. After the neighborhood group Friends of the Waterfront Playground advocated for a new state-of-the-art playground, the playground was built in 2013, with its $870,000 price tag being funded mostly through private donations and corporate sponsorships.