Authorities are investigating an explosion in Brighton last week that caused a fire that burned down one house, all but gutted another, and damaged a commercial building.
The blaze on June 23 broke out about 1 a.m. at 277 Railroad St., according to Vermont State Police fire investigators.
Police may offer a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the case.
Brighton is in Essex County in farthest northeast Vermont, and includes the unincorporated community of Island Pond.
Brighton firefighters arrived Wednesday morning to find one house completely engulfed in flames and starting to collapse, investigators said. Another house to the east was on fire too.
The fire appeared to have begun on the main floor of the first house and spread throughout the structure, before reaching the second house to the east and then the commercial building to the west, investigators said.
Firefighters stopped the flames in the commercial building, but one of the houses was destroyed and the other was badly damaged. The properties are owned by Darren Tardif, 41, of Brighton, police said.
Investigators later found video footage and still images of a vehicle leaving the area just moments after the fire began, state police said.
Authorities would like to talk to anyone who was in the Railroad Street area during the early morning hours that day.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Derby state police barracks at 802-334-8881.
