Blaze at New York’s Fulton Fish Market Is Ruled an Arson
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NEW YORK — The fire that destroyed a warehouse at the Fulton Fish Market just days after the mayor called for squeezing out the mob was declared arson Thursday.
A trained arson dog detected a flammable liquid on the third floor of the market, which erupted in flames at midday Wednesday, Fire Department officials said.
Fire marshals then found burn patterns that showed a flammable liquid had been poured down a 40-foot hallway, said Fire Commissioner Howard Safir and Chief Fire Marshal Michael Vecci.
Also, a valve connecting the sprinkler system to a water main had been shut off sometime before Wednesday’s blaze, Safir said.
The FBI has joined the investigation into who set the fire and why. There are no suspects at this time, but there are a number of leads, officials said.
The fire broke out days after Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani proposed to end mob influence by taking over the market and licensing its businesses and employees.
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