Crime & Safety

Newton Fire Investigating Picnic Table Blaze in West Newton

The fire consumed a heavy plastic picnic table and set of chairs.

It was just after midnight Wednesday when the Newton Fire Department received a call that something was on fire behind the Newton Community Services Center at 492 Waltham St. in West Newton.

Lt. Eric Fricke said crews arrived and found a fire burning brightly behind the center. When all was said and done, Fricke said there wasn't anything left for crews to observe, but a custodian said the fire had consumed a heavy plastic table and chair set.

"It was designed for longterm exposure to the elements,” Fricke said, adding that the table had been bolted to the ground. "It’s not something that accidentally catches fire."

Fricke said the fire is under investigation, which will include contacting the manufacturer of the items to discuss their materials and flammability. The items were far enough from the building and other items that nothing else was damaged.

"There’s really nothing around it that would explain why it caught fire, so they’ve ruled out random environmental possibilities," Fricke said. "It’s one of those things where it’s suspicious. At this point, they haven’t ruled the possibility that it was set intentionally by someone."

Fricke said investigators had not yet found evidence of an accelerant, but tests of some of the remaining debris were underway to see "what it takes to get it to catch fire."

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