ATHOL, Idaho — Authorities from the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office responded to a suspected arson incident at Silverwood Theme Park on Saturday morning.
KCSO arrived at the theme park to find one of the wooden roller coasters on fire at about 1:30 a.m. Lieutenant Ryan Higgins with the KSCO said the suspect cut a hole in a fence near the Timber Terror. They then poured gas on the rollercoaster to set it on fire. He said they were able to use a fire extinguisher to put of the fire before it spread.
In a press release from KCSO, authorities said an initial investigation showed it appeared someone snuck into the park and set fire to the wooden support of the roller coaster.
The state fire investigator will assist in the investigation as well. KCSO asked the public for any information regarding the case. A statement from Sheriff Robert Norris asked anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area to report it.
“Nobody is more familiar with your neighborhood than you. 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,” Norris said.