MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Fire Department suspects with “no doubt” the abandoned building at 80 First St. was intentionally set ablaze by a person, not an accident.
According to Mansfield Fire Investigator Harlan Barrick, the fire was set around 6:30 a.m. last week on the exterior of the building on the east side of the former home.
“The fire did start on the east side of the home,” said Mansfield Fire Department investigator Andre Cochran. “There are no suspects at this time. There were no witnesses.”
Cochran added the fire was started with trash surrounding the outside of the house.
“There were readily available combustibles outside the home,” he said. “The suspect would have used whatever he had on him — a lighter, a match — to start the fire.”
The fire remains under investigation.
