A fire that ripped through two triple-decker buildings in Southbridge, Massachusetts, last month was intentionally set, police and fire officials said Wednesday, asking for help finding whoever set the blaze.
It's official confirmation that arson is suspected in the Nov. 13 fire on Union Street — neighbors had told NBC10 Boston soon afterward that they believed it was intentionally set by someone they saw on surveillance footage lurking behind the buildings.
"I just heard my dogs going crazy so we went and we looked at the cameras and he was facing the camera so we caught him right on camera," said one witness, who didn't want to be named for their safety. "He showed up like around 1:58 and like around 3 o'clock he just threw something at the building and the whole building caught fire."
After investigating for three weeks, the Southbridge police and fire departments, as well as the Massachusetts fire marshal's office, are asking anyone with information on the fire to call the Arson Watch Reward Hotline, 1-800-682-9229.
It took firefighters from more than 12 communities to put out the blaze, which was reported about 3:25 a.m. It took nearly three hours to get the fire under control, officials said. The residents were safely evacuated, though 12 families were displaced.
A firefighter was hospitalized with a hand injury.
In the hours after the fire, Southbridge Fire Chief Paul Normandin stopped short of calling the fire suspicious but said state and local investigators were looking into claims of arson.
