Fire marshal’s brother accused of setting station blaze

A volunteer firefighter has been charged with allegedly setting a truck full of cardboard boxes on fire at the station damaging a door and car, and then driving onto Route 8 as the boxes burned and flew off the back.

According to an affidavit filed in Derby Superior Court, William Tortora, the 57-year-old brother of Fire Marshal James “Chic” Tortora, told police he was drunk when he set the boxes on fire behind Echo Hose after a past captain’s dinner about four weeks ago.

The back of Echo Hose abuts the Pierpoint building and a parking lot often filled with cars.

A second arrest is expected, police said. The investigation is on-going.

Tortora, of Coram Road, was arrested Friday and charged with second-degree arson, seconddegree reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal mischief and conspiracy charges for each count.

He appeared before Derby Superior Court Judge Peter Brown who continued the case to March 13. He is being held on $250,000 bond.

On March 13, Milford State’s Attorney Kevin Lawlor will decide if the case will be transferred to Milford where more serious charges are heard, he told the judge.

Police began their investigation after being contacted by Fire Chief Francis Jones. Jones and Captain Michael Plavcan provided police with surveillance videos showing Tortora and another volunteer setting the cardboard on fire. They also show Tortora videotaping the incident, according to an affidavit filed by Detective Richard Bango.

Police seized Tortora’s and the other suspect’s cell phones and had Stratford police extract evidence.

One of the videos contains the voice of a man saying “all these cars are going to burn.”

Some of the video shows the other suspect retrieving more cardboard boxes from inside Echo Hose and “feeding the fire,” according to Bango’s affidavit.

Bango estimated the flames reached “approximately five feet high.”

He said Tortora can be seen taking burning boxes from the truck “and throwing them around the parking lot.”

One of the burning boxes landed underneath a Chevrolet Impala owned by the city of Shelton. It left burn marks on the front end.

“When Tortora noticed the box on fire under the vehicle, he pulled it out and tried to step on the flames,” Bango wrote.

More burn marks were found on the firehouse’s overhead door. The door damage is estimated at $450.

Volunteer Firefighter Tom DeMarco used a fire extinguisher on the burning boxes.

Tortora met with Detective Sgt. Michael McPadden, Detective Chris Nugent and Bango at Echo Hose on Feb. 22 after he went to the station to remove his belongings after being told he was suspended pending the investigation.

Tortora told police he began drinking at 4 p.m. Feb. 3 and by the time of the fire was intoxicated.

“Tortora told us that we should have seen him driving down Howe Avenue with the rear of his truck bed on fire,” Bango wrote in his affidavit. “He stated that other drivers were pulling beside him beeping their horns.”

“Tortora stated he then drove onto Route 8 and sped up until the burning boxes flew out of his truck,” Bango’s affidavit reads.

Police photographed “an oval burn mark spanning from one wheel well to the other” on Tortora’s 2013 Chevrolet Silverado after they spoke with him Feb. 22. They also determined the vehicle was unregistered, removed the plates and had it towed to his home.

Tortora