NORWICH, Vt. -
The Norwich Police Department lost all
of its cruisers in an early morning fire.
The fire was reported in the Norwich
Police Department parking lot at about 3 a.m. Thursday. Fire crews found all
three cars ablaze when they arrived. They got the fire out quickly but the
cruisers were completely destroyed.
Earlier,
Norwich police told WCAX News they found evidence of an accelerant, indicating
the fire was intentionally set. But Vt. State Police fire investigators now say
the blaze was not suspicious.
"Right now, it's
undetermined. They might think it's mechanical failure and the radiant heat set
the other two cruisers on fire, but that's under preliminary
investigation," Norwich Police Chief Douglas Robinson said. "This is
a day of thanks and no one was hurt, just some bent metal and stuff that can be
replaced."
The loss to the department
is valued at $100,000. And it could take as long as two months to replace the
fleet. The department is borrowing vehicles from other departments in the mean
time.
