Arsonist sets wooden roller coaster ablaze at Idaho theme park, officials say

Someone set fire to a wooden roller coaster early Saturday at Silverwood Theme Park near Coeur d’Alene in Idaho, sheriff’s officials say.

Park security officers noticed the blaze on a wooden support at 1:30 a.m. and doused it with a fire extinguisher, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Park officials said someone cut a hole in the fence and set fire to the Timber Terror coaster using gasoline, The Spokesman-Review reported. The ride was running again Saturday after repairs to the slight damage caused by the blaze.

“It was very small and security got there fast,” Jordan Carter, a spokesperson for the park, told the publication. “We’re going to add new technology around the perimeter and more night security, but it’s something that could’ve been a lot worse.”

An investigation into the arson continues, according to the release. No arrest has been made.

Sheriff Robert B. Norris asked that anyone with information about suspicious activity near the amusement park contact detectives.

“Nobody is more familiar with your neighborhood than you,” Norris said. “Vehicles parked on a road or area that doesn’t normally have a vehicle parked there could be a clue that criminal activity is involved.”

Silverwood Theme Park has more than 70 rides and attractions, including several roller coasters. Opened in 1988, it now includes Boulder Beach Water Park.

This story was originally published June 6, 2021 at 10:45 AM with the headline "Arsonist sets wooden roller coaster ablaze at Idaho theme park, officials say."