Cause of Senior Center Fire Undetermined

The cause of the fire which destroyed the Rehoboth Senior Center on September 12 has been declared undetermined by the state Fire Marshall. “We have our theories but we can’t prove anything,” Fire Chief Frank Barresi said Tuesday.

The $1.4 million facility at 55 Bay State Road was deemed a total loss. Only the front portico remained standing.  Rehoboth firefighters arrived at the scene just a few minutes after being dispatched. The absence of fire-stops and sprinklers only exacerbated the fire’s destruction, Barresi noted.

The fire marshal’s office and the town’s insurance company had brought in a specialist to evaluate the building’s remains. All the remains have since been removed. Plans to construct a new Senior Center have been announced.