Another Fire in Alton

[Alton Mumma]

I almost had heart failure today when I saw the huge plume of smoke. It was so close to my house! All these fires... makes you go "hmmmm."

Got this from WMUR.com
ALTON, N.H. -- A large pile of tires went up in flames in Alton on Wednesday, causing environmental concerns.

Fire officials said that a pile of tires on the property formerly known as Martin's Junkyard on Route 28 caught fire. The property was the site of two suspicious fires over the fall, but there was no immediate word on the cause of the tire fire. Officials said it did appear to be suspicious.

Smoke was visible for miles away, and because of the burning rubber, environmental officials were called to the scene to monitor possible runoff into a nearby marsh.

Crews continued to fight the three-alarm fire through noon Wednesday.

[JimD]

I posted on this forum that there were too many fires in Alton after the Pavillion burned and my hopes that the Pavillion fire would draw enough attention to address the other fires. Within a couple days of the Pavillion fire the Concord Monitor quoted a person they identified as the State Fire Marshal as saying something to the effect that he could not find the cause therefore the fire was labeled as undetermined and NOT suspicous.

After I posted before, someone responded that such things should be left to the authorities and insurance companies, questioned how I could form an opinion just be reading the newspaper, even mentiond "a witch hunt." Well, if you think it might be a witch, then hunt it down. I think the people of Alton and the area should be put on notice that there appears to be a serial arsonist operating in the area. The "secret, behind the scenes" thing doesn't seem to be working.

[ApS]

I knew an arson investigator whose mantra was:

1) There are intentionally-set fires, and
2) There is Arson.

(A good philosophy to have—investigating such things!)

:)

[riverat]

I wished they would find some lead, this is the third suspicious fire in the same area that is right across the river from where I live and I do not like going out too see where all the smoke is coming from. I am afraid one of these times it will be on this side of the river.:confused:

[Alton Mumma]

This one was too close for comfort for me, and with the high winds I was so worried it would spread.

[Coolbreeze]

Well, you may have a problem there in Alton. If Anyone has pictures of any of these fires in the early stages, before help arrives, take a copy to the firemarshalls office. Sometimes a arsonist likes to watch his/her work and appears in multiple pictures at different fires. Always practice fire safety for your own sake too!

[Weirs guy]

From todays Citizen.


http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070112/NEWS05/101120232/-1/CITIZEN

[SIKSUKR]

From the WMUR website.
http://www.wmur.com/news/10732842/detail.html

[GWC...]

Another junkyard tire fire - same junkyard, different location and day...

http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070119/CITIZEN_01/101190239/-1/CITIZEN

Friday, January 19, 2007 Another junkyard tire fire
By CUTTER MITCHELL
jmitchellcitizen.com
jmitchell@citizen.com


Exactly a week after firefighters were called to dowse a tire fire in the old Martin's Junkyard on Route 28 across, they were back at it again, this time battling three new fires.

Similar to the last fire, tires in the junkyard were set ablaze, authorities said, except this time flames popped up in three different locations, two of which had shipping containers filled with tires, just a few feet from where the last blaze started.

"We really need to catch the person who is setting these fires," said Alton Fire Chief Alan Johnson.

The fires mark at least the fifth time since July that the Alton Fire Department and other area departments have responded to the same junkyard for suspicious fires.

"There is no reason for these fires to have started," said Johnson. He added that with no electrical exposure or hazardous materials that are potential fire hazards nearby, it is hard to imagine that flames just appeared on their own.