This story by Caleigh Cross was published by the Stowe Reporter on May 2. Material from earlier stories published by the Stowe Reporter has been incorporated.
[S]TOWE — There’s lots of loose talk about who might have set a series of suspicious fires in Stowe, but investigators aren’t reporting any progress.
Two fires late March 30 destroyed the business building at 638 S. Main St., the remains of which have since been demolished, and damaged the Helen Day Memorial Building at 90 Pond St., which houses Stowe Free Library and Helen Day Art Center.
A third fire April 18 damaged Stowe Chiropractic at 14 Pond St.
All three fires are being investigated in a joint effort by Vermont State Police and Stowe police.
Stowe Detective Sgt. Fred Whitcomb wouldn’t comment on whether there’s a suspect in the case.
“It’s an open investigation, so I can’t make any comment. If folks are talking, then that’s a good thing, because it can help us with our investigation,” Whitcomb said.
Stowe Sgt. Kyle Walker, who’s also a Stowe firefighter, says he has no reason to believe the rumor that maybe a firefighter set the blazes.
The library fire on March 30 was doused after it did perhaps $10,000 in damage, but the fire at 638 S. Main St., which broke out less than half an hour later, destroyed the south Stoware Common building, home to five businesses and a storage area for the Stowe Theatre Guild.
Stowe Fire Chief Mark Sgantas was among the Stowe firefighters who responded to the Stowe Chiropractic blaze, which broke out at about 4:20 a.m. on April 18.
The fire started in a back corner of the building, Sgantas said, similar to the South Main Street and Pond Street fires.
Sgantas said the initial report was that the building was engulfed in fire, but he saw quickly it wasn’t quite at that level, and Stowe and Waterbury firefighters made sure it never reached that level.
“You could smell the smoking and see some smoke, but it wasn’t a typical fully involved building, which was a good thing,” Sgantas said.
Firefighters got up into the building’s ceiling to ensure the fire hadn’t spread there. Since most of the damage was to the outside of the building, the office was able to treat patients on Friday.
Father and son Bradley Rauch and Ben Rauch practice at Stowe Chiropractic. The building is owned by chiropractor Palmer Peet, who doesn’t work at the Rauches’ practice.
Anyone who has anything to report in connection with the three fires is asked to call Whitcomb at 253-7126.
