This article has been updated to include comments from the school district's PR director.

That's truly ignorant if this was done on purpose.

This is just horrible! We could see the flames from our house and it was a scary scene. Thank goodness no one was injured.

im no arson expert but appears from these photos that gasoline or etc. was thrown onto ground and lit .. ?

I really hope that whom ever is responsible for this is caught and punished severely. What a senseless act of vandalism. When these people are caught and convicted, part of their sentence should be public humiliation like that woman in Colorado that was caught driving on the sidewalk to avoid waiting behind a school bus. Slap a big ole sign on these tools, make them wear bright pink jump suits with an arrow drawn on the chest pointing up to their heads with the words "I'm with Stupid" on them. Why are people such trash?

I say lock them in the school gym with the 300+ kids of Dormont Elem. and we'll see what happens. I know my 2nd grader has a few choice words for them.

maybe these people didn't intentionally do this. maybe they thought the fire wouldn't have been so big.

Whatever the intent of the fire-starter (metal does not accidentally burn), the ones who suffer from this destruction are the innocent children who attend Dormont Elementary School. They ran like the wind at recess to climb the slides and monkey bars of the fantastic playground provided by the generosity of the Dormont PFO.

Why would you say "may be they didnt intentionally do this"? They accidentally set the park ablaze? First thing I did was ask my son if he knew who did it! Kids talk!!! Becca you know something the police don't?

I ride my bike around dormont and usually I ride around the back of dormont elementary during non school hours. Because I move quickly on my bike I have arrived behind that building at least a few times and there have been young folks congregating there and when I roll past they seem surprised that someone has come upon them. I have always thought they should at least mount fake security cameras high on the walls and put signs that the place is under video surveillance. That might help. Additionally if more parents were RAISING their kids properly this kind of crap would not happen too often.

I agree with you T&B T. I drove down Potomac today and all these teenagers were standing outside just being young and silly. Where in the world are their parents and why do these kids not have a curfew? And yes we need security cameras on establishments our children attend.

Defending the kids on Potomac ( my ex allowed my son there) I also ran the street with my friends mostly up to know good but I can tell you it all started when the borough took away the places we congregated. Like Kelton and Hillsdale! We are a borough that has absolutely nothing or nowhere for the kids to hang out. We played basketball among other sports at night at those 2 places and you know what the parents and police knew where everybody was . Maybe open the gym at the local municipal building to the public for free! The kids hanging out has become a police issue and people like you don't see it as a borough issue... I allowed many of those kids in my house all last winter and guess what ? Broken homes, nobody to talk to and the other thing we would feed many and I say many kids every weekend... Close you mouth open you eyes !!!

To "Some Kid," both of your comments were deleted because they violate Patch Terms of Use. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at erin.faulk@patch.com. Thanks.

The Allegheny County Police and the Allegheny County Fire Marshal's Office is investigating this fire. If you have information regarding the person or persons responsible, please contact our annonomous tip line at 412-473-2776.

Thank you in advance for your help!