Cops: Arson suspected in Riverleigh Avenue house fire
Arson is suspected in a fire that broke out over the weekend in an abandoned building on Riverleigh Avenue in Riverside, Southampton Town Police said.
The Riverhead Fire Department was called to 234 Riverleigh Avenue about 6:30 a.m. Saturday and quickly extinguished the blaze.
The building had been entered through a rear door and it appeared the fire was started with an accelerant on a cloth chair, according to police. A bottle of accelerant was found at the scene, officials said.
The house, which police said was unoccupied, boarded up and had no electricity at the time of the fire, is located between Marta’s Deli and the State Police headquarters.
An employee of Marta’s Deli had called police in reference to smoke emanating from the building next door.
Town fire marshals and town detectives are investigating, police said.
