Full Notification

On Thursday, October 13^th, at approx. 11:37pm, Novato Police Officers, along with personnel from the Novato Fire Protection District, responded to the report of a fire at the Pioneer Park playground structure.  Upon arrival, officers found parts of a playground structure and building materials burning.  The fire was quickly extinguished before more damage could be done. 

The Novato Police Department Investigations Unit - along with the Novato Response Team - are working closely with the Novato Fire District and Marin County Fire Investigation Team to determine the cause of the fire and locate the person or persons responsible for this act.  Although the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, it’s believed it was intentionally set as it is highly unusual for a fire of this type to start without an ignition source. 

The damage to the site includes impacts to the City’s highly-anticipated renovation of the Pioneer Park playground improvement project. Construction began last month and the playground was slated to reopen to the community in November 2022. The new, accessible play structure - the first in Marin - was designed to include ramps and platforms to provide improved access to individuals with mobility limitations in addition to a variety of other play amenities. This project initially began 2019 after the City received a Grant through the California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS), PlayCore and GameTime funding initiative for outdoor play and recreation spaces. After delays caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, City Staff and the families in the adaptive needs community were thrilled to see this project come to life this fall. The impacts to the construction timeline and playground re-opening due to this incident are still being evaluated. The City will continue to share updates with the community including the playground’s status and an anticipated re-opening date.

The Novato Police Department is asking for the community’s help to identify the person or persons responsible for the crime.  If you have any additional information related to this fire, or suspicious activity in the park around the time of the fire including any video surveillance, please call the Novato Police Department at 415-897-4361. Officers will be conducting additional patrols in the area while this crime is being investigated.