Firefighters responded to reports of a fire at Fairview Elementary School today, where part of the playground and one play structure were destroyed in the blaze.
Anchorage Fire Department officials said the fire started shortly after 12:30 this afternoon, when smoldering rubber mulch in the playground sent a plume of black smoke high into the air over Merrill Field.
A spokeswoman for AFD said the fire "got a lot of attention, but really wasn't a big deal."
Anchorage School District officials said the damaged playground equipment would cost tens of thousands of dollars to replace.
Firefighters are still investigating the cause of the blaze.
