Crime & Safety

Fridley Officials Suspect Arson in Locke County Park Restroom Fire

Not much is left of wooden structure after it burned Thursday.

The restroom structure at in Fridley mostly burned down early Thursday morning in what fire officials suspect was a case of arson.

Only the front wall, part of an interior wall and a portion of roof remain standing. The wooden structure housed men's and women's toilets.

On Friday it was fenced off, still gave off a strong smoke odor and was posted with an Arson sign.

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"It was pretty much gone when firefighters arrived [shortly after 4 a.m.]," Berg said.

Berg said investigators don't know how the fire started. The digging part of the investigation is done, but more information may arise after review of video tapes from the nearby Target distribution center.

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"They have a good camera system that faces the park," Berg said.

At some point the Fire Department will turn over the investigation to detectives in the Fridley Police Department, he said.

The building was locked with a porta-potty standing outside, Berg said, adding that there was no fuel source at the building and the electricity had been shut off for the season.

Arson in Fridley
"We haven't had much arson in the last couple of years," Berg said in an interview Friday, although he recalled several incidents that bear some similarity to Thursday's fire. 

In October someone set fire to playground equipment at , Berg said, and several years ago the same thing happened at and tips led authorities to the juveniles responsible.

Anoka County Park Rangers recently found the burned remains of Molotov cocktails on the pavement at Locke County Park, Berg said. 

He said he has asked the Fridley Police Department for all records of police calls to Locke County Park in recent months.

Locke County Park
Anoka County's Locke Park (not to be confused with the City of Fridley's or ) is at the end of 71st Avenue NE, east of University Avenue NE, past the City of Fridley's Department of Public Works facility and the Fridley Community Gardens.

The park is home to a popular dog park that the county recently relocated within the park. The restroom building stood near a large group picnic shelter in the middle of the long park property, which runs along the north side of Rice Creek.

The restroom building is visible at Anoka County Parks' virtual tour of Locke Creek Park and in a accompanying the .


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