pRIDGEFIELD – Officials said someone deliberately set a fire Saturday that badly damaged five businesses off Main Street.ppNo injuries were reported as no one was in the building when the fire started.ppDeputy Fire Marshal Michael Grasso said investigators have ruled out accidental causes for the fire which was reported at 1217 a.m. at the quotShops off Mainquot a two-story building off Main Street and Bailey Avenue that housed a dance studio a grocery store and three professional offices.ppnbspnbspspanSlideshowspan spanspan classquotquotcomplexListingLinkquotquotstronga classquotquotcomplexListingLinkquotquot onclickquotquotquot newstimescommunity.comquotquot soundslidesquotquot hrefquotquothttpwww.newstimes.comci10697249IADIDSearch-www.newstimes.com-www.newstimes.comquotquotspanClick here to see pictures of investigators at the scene Saturday morning.spanastrongspanspanppquotIt is an intentionally set fire so therefore it was arsonquot Grasso said.ppThe fire is the second suspicious fire on Main Street in less than a month.ppOn Sept. 23 someone set fire to a cottage at 181 Main St.ppHowever investigators Saturday would not connect the two incidents.ppquotThere is nothing similar at allquot Grasso said. quotWe cant say they are connected at this time.quotppbThe firebppAnbsppolice officer spotted smoke in the area and contacted the fire department.ppOfficials listed the address as 424-A Main St.ppA shed in an alley on the side of the building was engulfed when firefighters arrived. The flames traveled up the building and into the roof.ppUpon arrivalnbspthere wasnbspheavy smoke and fire starting to show on the peak of the roof.ppPart of the roof collapsed onto the second floor which housed several offices. Three of the offices had tenants. Other spaces were vacant.ppIt took some three hours to get the blaze under control.ppRidgefield called for assistance from the Danbury Fire Department which sent an engine and a ladder truck. A ladder truck from Georgetown and a truck from Wilton were also dispatched to the scene.ppFire companies from Georgetown Miry Brook and Redding covered the town for the Ridgefield department while they battled the blaze.ppbMerchants reactbppIn addition to the offices Milillo Farms a grocery store suffered heavy smoke and water damage as did Hot Shoes a dance studio.ppKaren Casagrande a town resident who owns the dance studio watched the building burn.ppShe and her husband Gordon said a large crowd gathered in the parking lot during the fire apparently patrons from several bars surrounding the scene.ppquotThey were out here watching it. It was like a barn fire in high schoolquot Casagrande said.ppCasagrande has owned Hot Shoes for 24 years but moved into the new space less than two years ago.ppMost of damage in the studio was from smoke and water damage.ppAbout 500 CDs and stereo equipment was ruined by the water. She planned to start looking Monday for a temporary space for her dance studio which has about 200 students.ppCasagrande was grateful firefighters kept the blaze contained to one building.ppquotThese guys were great. I cant tell you how amazing they were. For as bad as it was they contained itquot she said.ppA steady stream of residents offered condolences Saturday to Mario Galeano who manages Milillo Farms an independent grocery store that was also damaged. His in-laws own the store.ppbThe investigationbppGrasso said the fire started on a shed about two feet from the building in an alley where several large trash receptacles were stored.ppThe shed housed a large air compressor used to ventilate air from underneath the property. The land apparently had a contamination problem at some point Grasso said and part of the clean-up mandated by the state Department of Environmental Protection included the installation of the air compressor.ppHowever the device had not been used in two years the property manager told fire officials.ppA team from the state Fire Marshals Office assisted in the investigation and focused on the alley were the damage was the worst.ppThey took away at least three pieces of evidence which were placed into brown paper bags after being videotaped.ppquotThere were a few pieces of evidence that will be sent to the state lab for examinationquot Grasso said.ppRidgefield Police Det. Steve Papstein was at the scene all day Saturday interviewing merchants from the damaged building as well as employees at nearby stores.ppThe rear entrance to a Subway sandwich shop is close to where the fire was set as is Baileys Backyard a restaurant.ppOther nearby restaurants include 50 Coins.ppPapstein is hoping patrons might have spotted something between 10 p.m. Friday and midnight Saturday.ppquotRight now were looking for information so if anyone who was in this area has anything they should call quot Papstein said.ppThe phone number at the police department is 203 438-6531.ppnbspppArticle courtesy of the Danbury News-TimesppPhoto by Kevin M. Doylep
