New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Brockton Fire Department responded to three fires in the early morning hours of March 17, 2021. These fires were intentionally set.
A few minutes before 1 a.m. a 5-alarm a fire destroyed the “State House” building on the Brockton Fairgrounds. Shortly thereafter, a brush fire occurred at the Junior/Senior High School at 271 West Street. At 1:15 a.m., Brockton Police responded to a burglary at the Sears store in the Westgate Mall. Shortly after the break-in, there was a brush fire in the D.W. Fields Park.
In addition, a fourth fire was discovered this morning at Marciano Stadium where an item was burned on the football field and damaged the artificial turf.
The outside fires and the burglary are connected and investigators believe the Fairgrounds fire was most likely set by the same people.
Investigators are releasing a photo of a person of interest in these incidents. If you know who this person is or have any other information about the fires, please call the Arson Hotline at 1-800-682-9229. You can also call the Brockton Police Department at 508-941-0200 or the Brockton Fire Department at 508 583-2933. All calls are confidential. The Arson Hotline is part of the Arson Watch Reward Program that offers up to $5000 for information that helps to solve the crime of arson. It is sponsored by the Property and Casualty Insurance Underwriting companies of Massachusetts.
The fires are being jointly investigated by the Brockton Fire and Police Departments and State Police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
