Mar 24, 2008 9:53 pm US/Eastern
Massive Fire Levels Taunton Warehouse
Owners Cite Theft, Suspect Arson
TAUNTON (WBZ) ―
A four-alarm fire gutted a former factory building being used to store granite and other materials, and the owners suspect arson.
The fire broke out late Monday afternoon in the 50-year-old building on William Hooke Lane, off Arlington Street.
The building was used by Stone Station Allied Co. of Oklahoma to store stone supplies. Owners said thieves recently stole some $400,000 in granite, marble and tile.
"Someone set fire to it, because there was really nothing else in the building that could start this," property manager Henry Vargas said.
Vargas said he believed someone set the fire to cover their tracks.
"Most definitely," he said.
Investigators said it was too soon to talk about what started the fire.
At the height of the blaze, thick clouds of smoke billowed into the sky and could be seen for miles. Nearby residents feared the flames would spread, but firefighters were able to contain them.
Last Monday night, heavy smoke continued to rise from the ruins.
No injuries were reported, officials said.
Stone Station Allied was in the process of moving the building's inventory to company headquarters in Oklahoma.
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