PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — (Update 6/28): The Pigeon Forge Police Department said no foul play is suspected after several people were treated for burns after going down a slide.
The incident happened at Fast Tracks on the Parkway. An employee who works for another company that provides food service at Fast Tracks said a slide was sprayed with a cleaner spray intended to keep it smooth.
According to the employee, the cleaner did not dry long enough, and when people went down the slide it caused burns. PFFD said three adults and two children were injured. Two of them were taken away by ambulance.
The fire department immediately noticed the chemical on the slide after they arrived at the scene.
"The crews had noticed there was some kind of residue on one of the slides at Fast Tracks," said Deputy Fire Chief Charles Powers. "After talking to the employees they'd realized they sprayed a chemical to help the slide be more slick."
The slide and victims were decontaminated after being sprayed with water for about 20 minutes, according to the PFFD. The department said it does not know what specific chemical caused the burn, but no foul play is suspected.
"I don't think there was any kind of nefarious reasons. I think they were just trying to get the slide more slick," Powers added.
An Asheville man plans to take legal action against the park after the incident. His attorney says they haven't officially filed anything yet, but plan to investigate further next week.
The slide remains closed, according to the PFFD.
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The Pigeon Forge Fire Department chief said several people were in stable condition after they were treated after an isolated incident at a Pigeon Forge go-kart track Thursday afternoon.
Tony Watson, the chief of PFFD, said it happened near the Fast Tracks location on Parkway. He said people would be transported to a medical facility after speaking with poison control. He also said people were decontaminated after the incident and were in stable condition.
Criminal investigators were called to determine if there was a crime committed, according to the Pigeon Forge Chief of Police.
Specific information about the incident, such as the kind of substance involved and its cause, was not immediately available. Watson said it was still under investigation by PFFD. This story will be updated when more information is available.