logo
    • News
    • Classifieds
    • Free Subscription
    • Book Store
    • Submit
      • Submit a Classified Ad
      • Submit an Educational Announcement
      • Submit a letter to The Editor
    • Past Issues
    • Regional Trade Shows
    • Testimonials
    • Contact
    • News
    • Classifieds
    • Free Subscription
    • Book Store
    • Submit
      • Submit a Classified Ad
      • Submit an Educational Announcement
      • Submit a letter to The Editor
    • Past Issues
    • Regional Trade Shows
    • Testimonials
    • Contact
Splash Kingdom Waterpark catches fire again
February 14, 2021
Splash Kingdom Waterpark catches fire again

For the third time in two years Splash Kingdom waterpark caught fire, damaging a small outside shed. The latest fire was reported at about 2 p.m. on February 5, 2021, at the Redlands, California, waterpark. Crews arrived to find a small storage area adjacent to the main building’s back wall in flames, according to the Fire Department.

Twelve firefighters from the agency responded to the scene along with crews from Loma Linda and San Bernardino County. They managed to stop the fire from spreading to the main structure.

No injuries were reported.

Approximately $5,000 in damages were reported.

This is the third time the waterpark caught fire in recent years, and it happened shortly after city planning officials began proceedings to revoke its operating permit.

In October 2020, the Redlands Fire Department responded to a fire which took place at around 7 a.m. Crews were met with heavy flames and smoke when they arrived, which took about 30 minutes to extinguish. The fire caused “extensive damage to all of the water slides” on the vacant property, a Fire Department press release stated. In addition to 16 Redlands personnel, six Loma Linda firefighters also responded to the blaze.

No injuries were reported.

Officials said that while it is not known what caused this fire, authorities were investigating it as “suspicious.”

In May 2020, Redlands fire crews responded to a fire that caused about $750,000 in damage. The circumstances of that fire were also deemed “suspicious.”

“We cannot specifically say what the cause was. I can’t tell you it was homeless caused – I can tell you it’s suspicious in nature,” said Fire Chief Jim Topoleski, of the fire that took place in May, which decimated the bottom floor of the main building and created significant heat damage above.

He also noted that the sprinkler system had been shut off.

Of the May fire, Splash Kingdom Operator Dan Martinez put the blame squarely on vandals. He said that the Coronavirus pandemic had kept the waterpark shut down and had led to extensive vandalism as well as the fire.

After the May fire, City planners called the park an eyesore, and on October 13, 2020, unanimously voted to revoke Splash Kingdom’s permit to operate.

That was the third time the city had reviewed the park’s operating permit.

In 2009, the planning commission revoked its operating permit due to non-compliance and code violations after operating as a center for night-time music and dance events.

In 2018, the commission again revoked the conditional use permit for multiple code violations and monitored the operator’s progress in addressing brown landscaping and unapproved parking lot striping, among other issues.

In 2019, the City Council overturned the revocation after operators outlined how they would address these issues but by the following year, city planners said that little or no progress had been made.

In March 2020, the park was ordered to shut down due to the Coronavirus. Since then it has sat neglected, vacant and scorched amid dead landscaping and graffiti.

What ignited the most recent blaze is under investigation, the Fire Department said.

Vandals and homeless people have been spotted at the park in recent months, and the owners’ conditional use permit was revoked again on January 12, 2021, after years of noncompliance on landscaping, parking and permitting issues.

The 17-acre water park opened in 1996 under the name “Pharaoh’s Lost Kingdom.” It has undergone changes in ownership and has been caught up with city code violations.

Firefighters responding to a blaze at Splash Kingdom on Feb. 5, 2021. Photo credit: The Redlands Fire Department

LATEST NEWS
Homes with pools raise price and sell speed
News
Homes with pools raise price and sell speed
Demand for houses with swimming pools remains strong in warm weather states
June 30, 2025
By Marcelle Dibrell As summer begins to heat up, so does the U.S. housing market — though not evenly across the board. Buyers and sellers are navigati...
this is a test
News
Final summer survey results tallied
June 30, 2025
Each year, Service Industry News takes the pulse of the pool and spa service sector through our comprehensive survey, and in this final installment of...
this is a test
during the pandemic peak. This ….
News
during the pandemic peak. This ….
June 30, 2025
during the pandemic peak. This has resulted in a widening gap between buyers and sellers. According to Redfin, there are approximately 1.9 million sel...
this is a test
News
Chem exposure sends 5 to hospital
June 30, 2025
Several patrons at a residential community swimming pool in Apache Junction, Arizona, were sent to the hospital following a hazardous materials incide...
this is a test
News
New Jersey city pool workers arrested
June 30, 2025
A group of municipal pool workers in New Jersey has been arrested for allegedly stealing chemicals from the Secaucus town pool to support their privat...
this is a test
Gators swim to escape heat wave
News
Gators swim to escape heat wave
June 30, 2025
As summer heats up across the South, pool technicians are being reminded that it’s not just algae or cloudy water that can cause a service delay. Some...
this is a test
Read Our Newsletter
ePaper
coogle_play
app_store
Free Subscription
View Current Print Ads
Educational Announcements
Aquatic Training Institute

Educational Leverage

Foundation For Pool Industry Education

Locey Pool

Pool Chemistry Training Institute

Pool & Hot Tub Alliance

Portofino University

Underwater Pool Masters
Trade Show Dates
  • The International Pool Spa Patio Expo
    Nov. 12-14, Dallas, Texas
  • The Pool and Spa Show
    Jan. 28-30, Atlantic City, New Jersey
  • 35th Annual National Plasterers Conference
    Feb. 26-28, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
  • The Southwest Pool and Spa Show
    Feb. 4-8, Houston, Texas
  • The Western Pool and Spa Show
    Feb. 6-8, Long Beach, California
Books to Order
About Us Terms of Use Privacy Policy
We use cookies to ensure that our website gives you the best experience possible. By continuing to use this website, you agree to this use of cookies.OK