Fire destroys vacant home in Hogansburg

<a href="mailto:dheath@pressrepublican.com">By DAN HEATH</a>
Staff Writer

March 15, 2009 03:43 pm

— HOGANSBURG — A suspicious fire destroyed a vacant home in Hogansburg late Saturday night.
Hogansburg/Akwesasne Fire Department Chief Norman Peters said the vacant home at 95 Frogtown Road is a total loss. He said the single-story bungalow with attached garage was fully involved as firefighters arrived about 11:30 p.m.
“There were flames coming out of the roof. The garage was already down,” Peters said.
He said the home was formerly owned by Elizabeth Ward. Peters said he believed she had sold the home to a relative, but didn’t know the name of the current owner.
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department was continuing to investigate the fire, he said. No information was available from the Tribal Police Sunday.
Peters said there have been a number of suspicious fires in the area, but couldn’t say how many.
“It is suspicious,” he said. “There’s been too many. We’re trying to figure out who’s doing this or what’s going on.”
The fire started in the garage area, Peters said, and spread throughout the house. A neighbor reported the fire, he said.
The Fire Department had two engines and 12 firefighters at the blaze. Peters said a downed live electrical line landed near a hydrant, so firefighters ran a hose about 1,000 feet to another hydrant.
Firefighters were back in service around 3 a.m.

E-mail Dan Heath at:
dheath@pressrepublican.com