Construction tools sparked the fire that broke out on Rye Playland's Dragon Coaster on Sept. 19, the Westchester County Cause and Origin (C&O) team has determined.

The investigation found that construction work involving a grinder and power drill was under way about 30 feet up in the wooden roller coaster's structure that afternoon, MyRye.com first reported. The fire smoldered for hours before flames broke out that evening, according to the report. The blaze was ruled accidental.

The finding replaces an earlier explanation from Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, who said on Sept. 20 that the coaster "was slightly damaged last night during what appears to have been an electrical fire," according to Rye Record coverage published at the time.

The C&O team attributed the fire to construction activity, not an electrical issue.

Rye firefighters were dispatched to Playland at 8:43 p.m. on Sept. 19 and arrived in under four minutes. They brought the fire under control within about 15 minutes, according to the Rye Fire Department.

Mutual-aid crews from Larchmont and Harrison helped extinguish remaining hot spots. Port Chester's ladder truck and a Rye Brook engine covered the city while Rye units stayed at Playland. The last Rye unit cleared the scene around 11:14 p.m., Patch reported.

No one was injured. The park had already closed for the season on Sept. 13.

Jenkins said in September that Playland's maintenance team would handle the repairs during the fall.

"Rest assured: this Dragon will rise again for Playland's 99th season," Jenkins said at the time.

No updated repair timeline or cost estimate has been made public since that statement. The 2027 season will mark the Dragon Coaster's 99th year of operation.

Rye Fire Department Captain Clyde Pitts told MyRye.com on the night of the fire: "Fire on the Dragon Coaster, quick knock down so damage but fixable."

The Dragon Coaster had just returned to service for the 2026 season after sitting idle all of 2025 because of maintenance needs and a change in park ownership, according to the Rye Record.

The coaster required significant renovations, including an entirely new dragon tunnel, before reopening in May.

Playland has a history of fires. In 2017, a blaze broke out atop the park's Grand Carousel.

The worst fire in Playland's history struck on July 10, 1966, destroying 15% of the park, according to MyRye.com.