BRATTLEBORO, Vt. (WCAX) – Authorities say an abandoned Brattleboro building destroyed by fire early Thursday was frequented by squatters.
Crews were dispatched to the Sportsmen’s Lounge on Canal Stree around 5 a.m. and found it engulfed in flames. Neighbors described people running from the building followed by explosions and a raging fire.
State fire invetigators on Friday said while the cause of the fire remains under investigation, it was clear that the building was visited “frequently by unhoused individuals who had been squatting.”
No one was reported injured in the fire. Officials say the extensive amount of damage has limited investigators’ ability to determine the origin and cause of the fire but that it does appear to be the result of direct human involvement.
The building was set for asbestos removal and demolition in about a week, according to the Brattleboro Reformer.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program at 800-32-ARSON.