Rye Playland to fix fire-damaged carousel

<p>Rye Playland officials say they will fix the historic carousel that was damaged by fire on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

News 12 Staff

Jul 10, 2017, 1:07 PM

Updated 2,698 days ago

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Rye Playland to fix fire-damaged carousel
Rye Playland officials say they will fix the historic carousel that was damaged by fire on Sunday.
Flames sparked Sunday afternoon on the 102-year-old carousel while dozens of people were on board. Flames could be seen shooting out of the top of the roof or steeple of the carousel.
Around 30 people were evacuated from the ride, and no one was injured. "Staff ran over there right away to get people out of the ride. People were not in danger because the fire was actually on the roof," says Deputy Commissioner County Parks Peter Tartaglia.
Firefighters from multiple departments raced to the scene to help put out the flames and heavy smoke, that could be seen from all over the park.
Playland officials say they believe the fire initially sparked in the carousel's lighting fixtures. They say there was damage to the roof and water damage to some of the ride's mechanics. None of the horses were damaged.
The ride is closed for now, but is fixable. It is unknown when the ride will reopen.
The carousel was brought to Playland when the park opened in 1928 and is one of seven historic rides in the park.