Playground equipment was seriously damaged Friday night in Odebolt, at the Odebolt-Arthur Battle Creek-Ida Grove Elementary School.

The Sac County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 911 call just before 5 p.m. and initiated the investigation. They determined three juvenile males — ages 11, nine and seven — had been playing with lighters and setting wood chips on fire under a plastic slide. The fire got out of control and spread to the equipment, causing an estimated $70,000 to $80,000 in damage.

The Sheriff’s Office has sought the assistance of the State Fire Marshal’s Office in the ongoing investigation. Criminal charges are pending those results.

(Reporting by Chantelle Grove, KCIM, Carroll)