Another suspicious fire breaks out in Troy
TROY, N.Y. » City police and firefighters are currently investigating the fourth possible suspicious vacant building fire within recent weeks.
Assistant Fire Chief Eric McMahon said fire officials responded to 77 2nd Ave. near 102nd Street in the North Central neighborhood just after midnight Monday.
“It was a little small quick fire with no injuries and the fire is still under investigation,” said McMahon.
McMahon said that it is not being labeled yet as arson, but he did note how the vacant building had no power connected to begin with.
“It’s a building that had no electricity or nothing else on it, so for that reason it peaks our interest, but it’s still under investigation,” explained McMahon.
Officials are also still investigating the three other suspicious fires that have taken place in Lansingburgh and in the North Central neighborhood within the last two weeks.
Officials ruled a July 5 fire as arson, which was inside an abandoned Fifth Avenue home and destroyed the three-story structure along with badly damaging a neighboring grocery store. They have not made arrests in connection, however.
Police and fire officials are still investigating the fires from July 11 and 12 as possibly being suspicious but have not ruled any of those as arson yet.
The July 11 fire occurred in the area of 102nd Street and Fifth Avenue, while the July 12 fire occurred at an abandoned Park Avenue building.
Mayor Patrick Madden is now urging residents to be vigilant of any suspicious activity in their neighborhoods and to report any of that activity immediately to police.
“We ask people to be on the lookout and if they see or hear noises in a vacant building near their home, if they would let us know immediately and call the police department,” said Madden.
“If they see somebody coming by that they maybe haven’t seen before, just let us know because any information that we can gather will be helpful.”