Arson keeps fire crews busy

A school, vehicle and grassy field torched within a two-hour period were targets of apparent arson.

The trio of blazes began at 11:16 p.m. Thursday when the Corning Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a portable storage building at West Street School.

“We caught it early and the damage wasn’t too bad. There were no other structures at the school damaged,” said Fire Chief Martin Spannaus, who estimated damage at $10,000.

“We suspect the fire was started by paper shoved under the building and ignited,” said the chief.

Around midnight, as firefighters were still mopping up the school fire, they received a call about a vehicle fire at 2120 Fig Lane.

“An abandoned old Dodge Van was on fire, and we have evidence it, too, was an arson fire,” Spannaus said. “It appears the fire started from a flammable liquid.”

Finished dowsing that blaze, firefighters were dispatched to a vegetation fire in a field at Highway 99W and Fig Lane, which Spannaus said was also torched by an arsonist.

“Only an eighth of an acre burned in the field, and we had it out in six minutes,” the fire chief said. “Our volunteer firefighters did an excellent job containing all of the fires due to quick response time.”

Another structure fire that wasn’t arson-related occurred at 10:33 a.m. Saturday. Front bedrooms of the home at 1126 Toomes Ave. were destroyed by flames, and the entire house suffered smoke damage, said Spannaus.

“The home was unoccupied at the time as the family living there was away camping,” he said. “The cause of the fire is electrical.” Estimated damage is $40,000.

Julie R. Johnson can be reached at 824-5464 or jjohnson@tcnpress.com