City shed fire ruled as arson
|
|
A suspicious fire on West Street in Rutland gutted a shed owned by Alan Gartner. ALBERT J. MARRO / RUTLAND HERALD |
Toolbox
By STEPHANIE M. PETERS STAFF WRITER - Published: July 9, 2009
State Police ruled a fire that burned a shed on a West Street commercial property early on Wednesday morning to be arson.
State Police were contacted by the city's fire department Wednesday because of the suspicious nature of the blaze, reported on the department's emergency line around 1:55 a.m., according to Chief Robert Schlachter.
The fire was extinguished in a matter of minutes and there were no reported injuries or anyone at the scene, according to Schlachter.
It was the nature of the building that made the city fire department believe the fire was suspicious, he said.
"Obviously there's no power to (the shed) or anything, so that's what gave us reason to believe it would not be of natural original," Schlachter said of his decision to call in State Police.
The small structure where the fire occurred is toward the front of the former Mintzer Brothers' complex, the same property where a blaze razed a brick warehouse in late April, he said. According to State Police, the building is owned by Alan Gartner. Schlachter said Gartner is also owner of the warehouse that burned in April.
At the time of that fire, which displaced several squatters, State Police said human involvement was definitely a factor in the blaze, however they did not immediately determine whether it was intentional or accidental.
State Police Detective Sgt. Matthew Nally, a fire investigator, could not be reached on Wednesday afternoon for comment on either investigation.
Schlachter said, however, that he isn't concerned that his department may have an arsonist on its hands.
"This could have been caused by any number of reasons, whether there was someone staying in there and they were trying to get warm by starting a fire because it was cool, or someone was trying to cook something," he said. "Still, it's concerning that we had the fire, period."
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call Nally at 229-9191 or the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program at (800) 32-ARSON.
stephanie.peters@rutlandherald.com
40