Ridgefield Baseball Coaches Placed on Leave During Fire Probe

RIDGEFIELD — Three Ridgefield High School varsity baseball coaches have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a police investigation into who started a fire on the team's field at Governor Park on Saturday.

Superintendent Dr. William Collins announced the decision in a letter to parents on Tuesday.

"At this point, we do not believe the coaching staff was directly involved, however, out of an abundance of caution, the three varsity coaches have been placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the police investigation," Collins wrote.

The letter made clear that "there were no students involved in this act."

The infield was doused with 24 gallons of gasoline prior to the Ridgefield-Amity baseball game on Saturday in an attempt to dry an area of the field, officials said. The cost to repair the damage is estimated at $50,000.

The Ridgefield Police Department are investigating the fire, and have asked anyone with an information to contact Officer Dan Gjodesen at 203-438-6531.