A popular Fairfax playground closes after nasty flea outbreak - SFGATE

What the report says

SFGate reported that the playground at Peri Park in Fairfax, California, has been temporarily closed after town staff found a significant flea infestation. Fairfax Public Works Director Kristin Arnold told the outlet that officials were alerted to fleas at the park on the previous Friday, inspected the site and linked the problem to likely raccoon activity. The playground is expected to remain closed until at least early August.

Peri Park, located along Fairfax Creek in Marin County, is a well-used local space known for its trees, nearby skate park and baseball field, and proximity to shops and restaurants on Bolinas Road. The closure affects the children’s play area, which officials said was shut as a safety measure while the town addresses the infestation.

Because Fairfax does not permit the use of pesticides or insecticides, the town is pursuing a nonchemical response. According to SFGate, Fairfax is working with Dominican University, which has steam-treatment equipment typically used in agricultural settings. The plan is to apply steam to the affected sand to kill fleas and eggs. Officials also intend to alter the playground to reduce raccoon access to children’s areas.

Arnold said the town hopes to reopen the playground by Aug. 7, though that depends on whether the treatment works. Flea bites are often irritating rather than serious, but public health agencies have warned that fleas can sometimes transmit illnesses; SFGate cited recent California concerns involving flea-borne typhus in Los Angeles County and a plague case tied to a flea bite in the South Lake Tahoe area.