The Suffolk County Police Department’s arson squad is investigating a fire at a vacant building early this morning on property owned by the Town of Riverhead on Sound Avenue in Baiting Hollow.
Riverhead Police and the Riverhead Fire Department responded to a call about fire at a residence at 1751 Sound Avenue in Baiting Hollow at 1:44 a.m. today, according to a Riverhead Police Department press release issued late this afternoon.
First responders found the residence, described by police as an abandoned structure set back of the roadway in a heavily wooded area, to be fully engulfed by fire, according to the press release.
“No persons were present or located at the scene upon police and fire department arrival,” police said in the press release.
The Riverhead Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire without further incident and without any reported injuries, police said.
The house is located on a 30-acre parcel the town has owned since August 2003, according to Suffolk County property tax records. The site is one of the town-owned properties that has been open for deer-hunting by town residents, pursuant to a lottery, during the winter shotgun hunting season.
The Riverhead Fire Marshal’s Office, Riverhead Police Department Detective Division and Suffolk County Police Department Arson Squad detectives also responded to the scene for further investigation, police said.
The investigation into the origin of the fire is ongoing at this time, police said. Anyone with information pertaining to the investigation is asked to contact the Riverhead Police Department at (631)727-4500. All calls will be kept confidential, police said.
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