The Northampton police and fire department's and state Fire Marshal's office is investigating the fire.
Northampton firefighters at the scene of a fire in a vacant building on Bridge Street that used to be Shaw's Motel.
NORTHAMPTON – Investigators returned to the former Shaw’s Motel on Bridge Street Monday to probe a Sunday night fire that that damaged the rear of the property.
“They are on the scene digging through the rubble, conducting their forensic scene exam, as we speak,” Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for the state Fire Marshal’s office, said early Monday afternoon.
The blaze at 87-89 Bridge Road was reported just before 7 p.m. No injuries were reported.
Assistant Fire Chief Duane Nichols said damage was confined to the rear of the property.
A story in the Daily Hampshire Gazette stated the property has been declared a crime scene in wake of the fire. Nichols said, however, it’s too early in the investigation to speculate on its origin.
The property remains under investigation by the Northampton police and fire departments and the state Fire Marshal’s office.
The motel operated for years as a 20-unit single-unit occupancy apartment building for years, but has been vacant for years. The new owner of the property is seeking permission to demolish the building.