Albany Police seeking person responsible for Doane Stuart Fire
Albany officials have provided an update regarding the fire that happened at the former Doane Stuart School on Thursday, March 23. The City of Albany and Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the fire.
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Albany officials have provided an update regarding the fire that happened at the former Doane Stuart School on Thursday, March 23. The City of Albany and Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the fire.
At this time, the fire is still under investigation and is classified as "undetermined." According to Albany Police, several causes have been ruled out, and it is believed that the fire was started by a human.
The Albany Police Department says they are continuing to review various sources of physical and digital information as well as eyewitness accounts from before, during, and after the fire. Anyone with information regarding the fire is asked to contact the Albany Police Department’s Detective Division at 518-462-8039. Anonymous tips may also be submitted online to the Capital Region Crime Stoppers website.
“I once again commend the heroic efforts of the Albany Fire Department under the leadership of Chief Joseph Gregory for quickly extinguishing this devastating fire," said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. "While our fire investigation continues, I urge anyone with information to reach out to Crime Stoppers today. We hope this significant reward will prompt anyone with information to come forward and help the Albany Fire and Police Departments continue their investigation. We must find those responsible for destroying this historic treasure and bring them to justice.”
“I could not be prouder of our Albany Firefighters for the work they performed at the Doane Stuart School fire," said Albany Fire Chief Joseph Gregory. "It is a testament to our members’ training, preparation, and abilities as Albany’s Bravest that we were able to contain this fire to a single property and that every responding company returned home safely. I would like to thank Mayor Sheehan for her constant trust and support of our Albany Fire Department by ensuring that our members have every resource necessary to extinguish this massive fire. I also would like to thank our Brothers and Sisters from the Albany Police Department, NYS FIRE, and the NYS Police for assisting with the thorough investigation into the cause of this epic fire. I strongly encourage anyone with information about this fire to come forward and assist our efforts.”
"Fire investigations can be very complex. From the moment this devastating fire was called in, Albany police detectives have been working closely with fire investigators from the Albany Fire Department and New York State to determine the cause and identify any individuals who may be responsible," said Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins. "While certain pieces of physical evidence may be difficult to retrieve, our joint investigation still remains very active and we're urging anyone with information to come forward. I would like to thank Mayor Sheehan for her unwavering support throughout this investigation as well as Capital Region Crime Stoppers for their partnership as we continue to move forward."