TRR photo by Tom Kane Firefighters from Equinunk contain a December 6 fire in Damascus Township. (Click for larger image)

Suspicious fire destroys house and barn

By TOM KANE

DAMASCUS — A fire on a remote road in Damascus near the hamlet of Callicoon totally destroyed a house and barn last Thursday, December 6.

No one was injured.

The house, which is on Deighter Road off Conklin Hill Road, belongs to Gillian Cintoli of Warwick, NY.

The owner was not present.

Firemen on the scene said the fire, which was detected at 10:00 a.m., looked suspicious.

“It’s being investigated by the state police,” said Equinunk Fire Chief John Moss. “We’ll know more later.”

Witnesses said it appeared that there had been an explosion. The fire was called in by someone in Callicoon who saw the fire in the distance.

The road entering the property was closed off by a large mound of dirt that had to be removed by a backhoe. The engines that appeared on the scene first had to force an entrance on to the property.

Firefighters from Callicoon, Hortonville and Hancock, and the Damascus Ambulance Corps, were also on the scene.