HUDSON — Police are investigating the cause of a fire that damaged a food pantry on Fairview Avenue early Tuesday.
The fire at 200 Fairview Ave. was reported sometime after midnight by a state trooper who spotted the flames while passing by on patrol.
Greenport Fire Chief John Onufrychuk said the fire has been deemed suspicious at this time, and the investigation was turned over to state police. The Columbia County Cause and Origin Team was at the scene along with state police investigators Tuesday morning.
Firefighters arrived at about 1:30 a.m. to see smoke and fire in the front of the building, Onufrychuk said. Flames had extended from the bottom of the building to the eaves when firefighters arrived. But, with the help of Hudson Fire Department, firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze before it spread to the rest of the building.
The damage was limited to the outside of the building and is repairable, Onufrychuk said.
No one was hurt battling the blaze, the chief said.
The building, St. Mark’s Lutheran Food Pantry, regularly donates food and other goods to the needy, and is operated by St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 8 Storm Ave. The pantry is typically open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A representative of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday.
Yellow police tape surrounded the building and investigators were seen at the scene for most of the day.
As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, police had not ruled the fire to be an arson.
To reach reporter Amanda Purcell, call 518-828-1616 ext. 2500, or send an email to apurcell@thedailymail.net, or tweet to @amandajpurcell.
