WFD Extinguishes, Investigates Two Neighboring Oakland Beach House Fires

WARWICK, RI — Warwick Firefighters responded to two Oakland Beach house fires, both vacant buildings within sight of each other, this morning, and are investigating the blazes as suspicious, said Warwick Fire Chief James McLaughlin.

Just after 1 a.m. Monday morning, firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire at 26 Strand Ave. When crews arrived they had heavy fire showing, said McLaughlin. The house was a two-story, wood frame summer cottage, according to a report from Providence Canteen’s Twitter page, where several photos of the fire are posted.

Firefighters were not able to enter that building upon arriving due to the intensity of the flames, but were able to clear it after putting out the fire and confirmed no one had been inside, McLaughlin said.

As the fire crews were leaving the scene, a second fire within sight of the first was reported at 429 Sea View Drive, McLaughlin said. Firefighters were able to enter that building while knocking down the fire there and confirmed that building was also vacant, McLaughlin said.

“There’s extensive damage to both properties,” McLaughlin said. He said the fires are considered suspicious, since they happened so close to one another and that the second occurred so soon after the first. A K-9 unit was called in to search the scenes for evidence of what may have caused the fires, he said.

The fires remain under investigation.