Officials in Stratford, Connecticut, say it could take weeks to find the cause of the fire that destroyed the iconic American Shakespeare Theatre over the weekend.
Stratford Fire Marshal Brian Lampart says there’s no evidence of arson right now.
“Everybody likes to jump to that conclusion. You know, it’s a vacant building, it’s the middle of the night. But you know, we have a job to do and we’re going to eliminate everything before we get to that point.”
Lampart also says there’s no evidence of electrical problems, and no fire accelerants have been found.
“At this point, we’re gonna treat it just like any other fire that we investigate. It’s a science, so we’re gonna take our time and do it carefully. This is a very complex fire because of the size of it.”
The theatre closed in the 1980s. Stratford Mayor Laura Hoydick says she thinks the fire will open new discussions on what to do with the property, which is owned by the town. Hoydick says the site is contractually obligated to be used for public entertainment.
