Mystery fire destroys beloved farmhouse
By Bill Cantwell, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The fire which destroyed the old building, a favorite spot of people from that part of town, has also left a mystery in its wake.
Firefighters from
But flames broke out again early Sunday morning and were noticed by a passerby at
That's where the mystery comes in.
Subatch lives next door to the farmhouse. Yesterday, he praised firefighters for putting out the original fire, but said they should have opened up walls near the origin point of the blaze to ventilate the area and make sure there were no more flames.
But
"We have active investigations into them," she said yesterday, adding that no evidence has been collected showing that the original fire reignited. "No cause has been determined yet."
Meanwhile, with no insurance on the old farmhouse, the Subatches have lost the building that was the centerpiece of their family for several decades -- and and the keepsakes it contained.
Yesterday,
"I lost hundreds of thousands of dollars," he said of the value of the building, "and all my parents' memorabilia."
"The building had a lot of sentimental value," said
"My dad farmed it for 60 years," she said. "People who used to go there were up there devastated and in tears (after the fire). It's really hit us very hard."
Alton said her father built the house in 1960 and farmed the 12 acres around it for most of his life. He had beef cattle and "a huge vegetable garden," she said. She said the property was known affectionately as
"I want some answers," he said.
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