Police Pursuing Leads in Arson Case

Police are questioning "people of interest" in relation to a fire that ripped through a Light Street residence Saturday afternoon. The fire has been determined arson, according to Stratford Fire Marshal Brian Lampart.

“It is determined to be intentionally set, so we’re treating it as a crime,” Lampart said.

Once that determination is made, the case is turned over to the detective division of the police department. A call to the division was not returned.

Lampart, who is also serving as acting chief of the fire department, said a K-9 unit from the state police sniffed out accelerants in several areas of the structure, located at 555 Light St. The exact type of accelerant used has not yet been determined, he said.

The fire broke out with what neighbors described as an explosion late Saturday afternoon. It quickly spread to the side and rear of the house, and an attached garage. Lampart said the fire caused significant damage; well over $100,000 worth.

While this is the first fire intentionally set this year, Lampart said the town gets them periodically.

"A lot of them you don’t solve," he added. "It’s a very hard crime to prove.”