Two dozen cars have been destroyed after a fire, which police are calling suspicious, ripped through a carport outside of a condo complex located in Essex Junction, Chittenden County, Vermont.
The Essex Junction Fire Department and Essex Police Department stated that around 4 a.m. Saturday morning, they received a call of a vehicle on fire inside a carport on Densmore Drive in Essex Junction. When the team got on scene, they discovered the carport fully consumed with fire. With the help from the Essex Fire Department, Essex Junction firefighters knocked the flames down before they would catch the nearby buildings and residences.
Police say 24 automobiles were damaged.
Residents say it was a wake-up call they had not expected.
The flames and heat were so intense, they affected vehicles parked outside of the carport, damaging the glass out of their windows and melting their taillights.
Police say the nearby condo building were also affected by heat damage and broken windows.
Police and fire officials stated the fire is being probed as suspicious. They say there were several reports of thieving from vehicles overnight in the same area and also others around the village. Investigators are figuring out if they are related to this incident but they are not known to be associated at this time.
Anyone with details about this incident is asked to contact the Essex Police Department.