STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
NEWS RELEASE
CASE #: 24B1007440
TROOPER: Det. Sgt. Clark Lombardi
STATION: Westminster Barracks – Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit
CONTACT #: (802)722-4600
DATE/TIME: November 07, 2024
LOCATION: 45 Canal Street Brattleboro, VT
INCIDENT: Fire Investigation
SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:
On November 7, 2024, at approximately 5:04 AM the Brattleboro Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire at 45 Canal Street in Brattleboro, VT. A section of the structure included a closed business called the Sportsman’s Lounge, and the other portion had previously been converted into apartments. The entire structure had been boarded up and abandoned for serval years. When fire crews arrived, they discovered the structure was fully involved in fire. Defensive firefighting actions were taken, and the fire was extinguished.
During Fire Chief Howard’s assessment of the scene, he learned the structure was visited frequently by unhoused individuals who had been squatting. The Fire Chief obtained information that unknown victim(s) could possibly be somewhere within the fire scene. Chief Leonard contacted the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit and requested assistance in locating any victims within the structure and determining the origin and cause of the fire event.
Members of the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit responded to the fire scene and conducted a scene search with the assistance of an excavator. No victims were located.
The extensive amount of damage limited the investigators in their ability to determine the origin and cause of the fire event, however the fire does appear to be the result of direct human involvement. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Brattleboro Police Department with assistance from the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit.
People with information may also contact the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program at 800-32-ARSON. The Arson Tip Award Program is a separate entity from the state police and Brattleboro police department, and through funding from insurance companies offers a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case.
Detective Sergeant Clark Lombardi
Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Vermont State Police
Fire and Explosion Unit
BCI Troop A – East
Derby Barracks
35 Crawford Road
Derby, VT 05829
