Westchester confirms Playland carousel is closed for season

Westchester County has decided to keep the grand carousel closed for at least the rest of the year, after the ride’s roof caught fire Sunday.

There’s no timetable set for its reopening, but county representatives say it will be repaired.

The county had anticipated that repairs due to the fire could mean losing the ride for the remainder of the 2017 season. That decision was confirmed Thursday by Peter Tartaglia, deputy commissioner of the county parks department.

IN THE BLACK: County finishes 2016 with a surplus

INFRASTRUCTURE: Where does Westchester stand?

UBER: Ride-hailing made legal in the county

The fire was caused by an electrical spark from one of the lights at the base of the domed roof of the ride, Tartaglia said. The flames didn’t touch any of the carved wooden horses or chariots, but some will need minor refurbishing due to water damage from the water used to extinguish the fire.

The fire destroyed a panel of the roof and temporary beams are being installed to ensure the structure doesn’t collapse, Tartaglia said. Damages to the mechanicals of the ride are also being assessed due to water damage.

The carousel is 102 years old and was originally located in Savin Park in Connecticut. It was moved to Playland when the amusement park opened in 1928.

When the ride will reopen isn’t clear because it was already tagged for a renovation before the fire, Tartaglia said. Westchester, which owns Playland, planned to rehabilitate several historic rides including the carousel in a $3.7 million project. The county is coordinating the fire repairs with the planned work which is still in its design phase, Tartaglia said.

Westchester is spending more than $30 million in construction as part of a deal to hand over management of the park to a company called Standard Amusements. Standard is investing another $27.5 million of its own money into revitalizing the park.

Twitter: @marklungariello