Stratford’s fire marshal says there was no evidence to support that the fire that destroyed the former American Shakespeare Theatre was arson, but cautioned that it’s still early in the investigation.
Fire marshal cautions it’s early in probe of blaze that destroyed Stratford building
STRATFORD — As the probe continues into the fire that destroyed the vacant American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, the town’s fire marshal said officials have not yet found signs the blaze was intentionally set.
Monday afternoon, more than 24 hours after the fire was discovered in the decades-old facility, Fire Marshal Brian Lampart said there was no evidence to support that the fire was arson, but cautioned that it’s early in the investigation.
The fire, which burned and then smoldered for hours, was first reported about 1 a.m. Sunday. When firefighters arrived, they saw bright flames shooting out from the building.
“When we first arrived it was just about completely involved in fire. At that point we tried to do our best to do what we could do,” said Fire Chief Robert McGrath.
The fire was largely limited to the main building on the property, which has been vacant for many years, officials said. No one was injured.
Lampart said they have not yet found any evidence of accelerants. A state police dog trained to smell such materials was called to the scene not long after the fire was put out.
“At this point, we are going to treat it just like any fire we investigate,” Lampart said. “It’s a science. We are going to take our time, we are going to take it carefully. I’ve reached out to the Connecticut state police for this matter just so we don’t miss anything.”
Officials said it was five 911 calls from residents that drew them to the fire, not a fire alarm. Within about four minutes, firefighters were on scene, public safety per-
sonnel said.
Officials said the building was equipped with a sprinkler system. Officials were looking into when it was last inspected.
Town officials said there were not any security cameras on the building or property, and that security was largely limited to door alarms. Although there have been previous instances of people squatting inside the building, there have no been recent reports made, Chief Joseph McNeil said.
Dismayed by the fire in the iconic town building, residents came to an afternoon press conference Monday at town hall seeking answers.
“Be patient with us. We are going to do everything we can and hopefully we come up with some answers,” Lampart told the residents.
“This is no time to point fingers,” McNeil told residents after a slew of questions about security and response at the property.
The 1,534-seat theater, open during the summers, was first opened in 1955 with private funding by a group of theater professionals. It once showcased work by Katharine Hepburn, John Houseman and James Earl Jones, but long had trouble with its finances. It declared bankruptcy in 1982, but was bought by the state. It eventually closed in 1989, but the property along the Housatonic River remains in use.
The future of the property remains unclear as officials continue their focus on the investigation.
“The theatre, and building and grounds mean a great deal to many, not just Stratford residents,” Mayor Laura Hoydick said.
Shakespeare Academy at Stratford, which runs a program on the property on Elm Street, expressed resilience despite news the historic building was a total loss.
Following a quote from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the group said in a Facebook post: “Today is a tragic day for our whole community. We know we are in good company though, the original Globe burned down and today we still love and perform Shakespeare’s works and will continue to do so. The Shakespeare Theater is all but gone, but the history and magic of the place is not.”
Mighty Quinn Foundation, which runs the Shakespeare Academy, established a fundraising site late Sunday in the hope of rais- ing money to rebuild on the site. It is seeking to raise $25,000.
“We do not want this beautiful and magical place to be lost to time and forgotten, so we have resolved to bring this theater back from the ground up, like a phoenix from the ashes,” the foundation said on the fundraising site.
Officials said the town has owned the property since 2005. Progress to restore or renovate the property has been stalled by a lack of cohesive vision, Stratford Mayor Laura Hoydick said. For years, town elected officials had been working to get funding for the theatre, she added.
Hoydick said it will be up to the people of Stratford and the town council to determine what is done on the property.