Oct. 17--HYANNIS -- A duplex on Fresh Holes Road that had been damaged in an August arson fire burned again this morning, destroying the structure.
The duplex at 50 and 52 Fresh Holes Road was engulfed in flames when Hyannis firefighters arrived at 12:56 a.m., said Hyannis Fire Department Capt. Bill Rex. All firefighters could do was surround the structure and put large volumes of water on it to keep the blaze from spreading to nearby homes.
"It was a surround and drown operation," Rex said.
The structure was vacant, had no utility services and had not been repaired from an Aug. 18 fire that injured an 89-year-old woman, Rex said. In that incident, a mattress had been leaned up against the rear of the duplex and set on fire.
The cause of today's fire is under investigation, but is deemed suspicious, Rex said. No injuries were reported.
Officers from the Barnstable Police Department evacuated nearby duplexes while the fire was under way, but Rex said no other buildings were damaged.
A crew from the Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills Fire Department assisted at the scene, and the Yarmouth and Barnstable fire departments covered Hyannis calls in the early morning hours.
Rex said firefighters left the scene at around 5 a.m.
Copyright 2013 - Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.
