Date: Fri 09-Oct-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Fire-Great-Hill-cottage

Full Text:

Great Hill Cottage Fire Called Arson

(with cut)

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

Town firefighters responded to an October 1 nighttime cottage fire off Great

Hill Road which is being investigated as an arson.

Fire Marshal George Lockwood said this week someone apparently used about

three quarts of turpentine to set the small wooden building ablaze.

The fire, which was called in at 11:17 pm, caused the total destruction of the

approximately 180-square-foot building, Mr Lockwood said. There were no

injuries in connection with the blaze. The cottage was vacant and unoccupied

at the time of the fire.

The property located at 84 Great Hill Road is owned by DaMota, LLC, Mr

Lockwood said. The structure had been scheduled for demolition, he said.

Although electrical lines were connected to the cottage, the building did not

have electrical service, he said.

Mr Lockwood said the burning turpentine made for a "very hot fire."

The state fire marshal's laboratory will be conducting tests on evidence from

the fire, he said.

Mr Lockwood said he will be working with police Det Sgt Henry Stormer, who is

a deputy fire marshal, in investigating the Great Hill Road fire.

Det Sgt Stormer estimated the property damage in the fire at $70,000.

The fire occurred on the northern side of Great Hill Road, just east of its

intersection with Taunton Hill Road. The cottage was set back about 200 feet

from Great Hill Road.

Deputy Fire Marshal Bill Halstead said the blaze was in Hawleyville's fire

district. Hawleyville, Dodgingtown, Sandy Hook, and Newtown Hook and Ladder

firefighters and fire equipment went to the scene. Botsford sent men and

equipment to the Hawleyville Firehouse on stand-by duty.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, the cottage was fully involved in

flames.

Hawleyville Assistant Fire Chief Sean LaPak said it took firefighters about

one hour to put out the cottage fire. Hawleyville firefighters spent several

hours at the scene.

Firefighters used a portable water tank to ferry water to the fire scene, Mr

LaPak said.

They returned the following morning to extinguish some "hot spots."

Insurance investigators were at the fire scene on the morning of October 2

inspecting the damage, he said.