ST. ALBANS, Vt. (AP) – Fire officials say arson caused a blaze that destroyed six abandoned buildings at an old radar base.

A State Police fire investigator is looking at the scene, said St. Albans City Assistant Fire Chief Randy Swann. “It was definitely suspicious,” Swann said. “Definitely arson.”

All the buildings were being torn down. Swann said the largest building was 100 feet long, 40 feet wide and three stories high.

The base, which opened in 1951, was home to a U.S. Air Force radar facility during the Cold War.

Hundreds of people served at the base and lived in the barracks buildings. The population was usually around 180, though it peaked at 280 during the early 1960s.

Some of the base is now being used for housing. Other buildings included a bowling alley that burned in the fire Saturday, and a dance club, a dining hall and retail stores.

The base closed in 1979. A single radar dome and 12 acres around it are owned and occupied by the Federal Aviation Administration. Another 220 acres of base are owned by Essex developer Bob Marcott.

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Information from: St. Albans Messenger

AP-ES-02-09-04 1620EST