RUMFORD — Assistance is sought from the public to help solve two intentionally-set fires in Rumford’s Virginia neighborhood on Sunday night and early Friday morning.

Friday morning’s fire destroyed the estate of the Marguerite R. Jones Trust. It was a two-story, wood-frame, single-family residence at 632 Forest Ave., fire Chief Bob Chase said late Tuesday afternoon.

Sunday night’s fire caused more damage to a single-story house at 7 Ernest St. that was initially burned in a fire on St. Patrick’s Day that was deemed suspicious.

“We’re asking the public to be vigilant in making observations around their neighborhood of anything that might be suspicious,” Chase said. “You know, just being aware of what’s going on is our best chance of identifying what’s going on with these fires,” he said.

Assessed at $31,994 in Rumford’s 2012 tax commitment book, the light pink Jones Trust house was a total loss. Only a few scorched walls were standing on Tuesday afternoon in the heavily overgrown lot. The still pungent odor of burnt building materials lingered in the vicinity in the residential neighborhood.

Chase said Rumford and Mexico firefighters responded to the 1:41 a.m. structure fire.

“As we arrived and started to establish a water supply, a propane tank at the back of the building, which had gotten a lot of heat, started to vent and created quite a fireball, so that set us back a little bit,” Chase said.

Firefighters had to abandon that hose-lining work and put in a second line from a different side to fight the fire. Chase said he called in mutual-aid for Dixfield and Peru firefighters “right away” to help.

Dixfield’s quint ladder truck was used to better access the building that sits back from the road in a hilly area, because Rumford and Mexico’s jointly-purchased quint ladder truck didn’t arrive from the dealer until Monday night.

Firefighters also used multiple water lines to attack the blaze, which scorched several trees around the property.

Sunday night’s arsonist set fire to the outside of the Ernest Street building sometime before 9:30 p.m. when firefighters were alerted. The previous fire caused an estimated $10,000 damage to the building.

According to the 2012 tax roll, that building is assessed at $21,000 and owned by Wayne and Tonia McCollough.

“So again, we just ask the neighbors to be vigilant in making observations about their neighborhood,” Chase said. 

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