The state fire marshal is investigating whether an accelerant was used in the Bassett Street fire early Wednesday that left four families homeless.
But officials are not calling the fire suspicious yet.
City Fire Marshal Ray Tingley said an accelerant sniffing dog on the scene Wednesday picked up a scent on the exterior staircase on the back portion of the home.
Samples from that area have been sent to the state fire marshal’s office, which will conduct laboratory tests.
“It could be just the type of wood there has traces of something, based on manufacturing practices,” Tingley said.
The dogs are trained to detect petroleum products, Tingley said.
Tingley would not say they are specifically investigating the fire as an arson, but wouldn’t rule it out either.
“When the dog alerts us to something like that, it’s always a possibility,” Tingley said.
There were no injuries in the fire, which started about 12:40 a.m. Wednesday.
“It came in as a working structure fire, confirmed by the police officers on scene,” Ansonia Fire Chief Michael Eheman said Wednesday. “When we got here, there was heavy fire on two sides and the rear of the building. It worked its way up quickly. It was heavily involved.”
Eheman said it took an hour and 40 minutes to put the fire out. The roof started to collapse while fire crews were fighting the fire, he said.
On Wednesday, the home was demolished.
The Red Cross and city officials put the people displaced by the fire in an area motel. The Red Cross also distributed vouchers for food and clothing.
Detectives from the Ansonia Police Department were on scene Wednesday at the request of the fire marshal, said Lt. Andrew Cota.
“It’s an open investigation,” Cota said. “There’s been no determination or ruling on the cause.”
