PARKER, Colo. (KDVR) — The owners of a Parker haunted house attraction that burned on Monday will not close for Halloween but must now find a way to recover from more than $50,000 in losses.
Police are focusing on two people seen on surveillance video walking into a building at Fright Acres shortly before the fire started.
“Fun and games isn’t worth it, I’m sure they think it’s amusing but you know the gravity of the situation is a lot more severe than I think they realize,” said Fright Acres owner Steve Petalas.
Petalas depends on revenue from the Halloween season to support his family and more than 80 employees.
Hundreds of irreplaceable props collected over decades are now nothing but ashes on the ground. Many were crafted by companies that are no longer in existence.
“We had coffins, we had caskets, what I called haunt memorabilia,” said Petalas.
Petalas says it will be impossible to rebuild the attraction until next year, and he hopes anyone who could be responsible will come forward.
“Not only did they take away a local business but you know, a livelihood,” he said.
The other attractions at Fright Acres will remain open this weekend.
A GoFundMe page is set up to help the family.