NORTHAMPTON — Two days after flames erupted in a pile of brush and debris at Look Park, the air around the site was thick with the smoky smell of charred mulch Monday.
City officials said that the police and fire departments together are investigating the cause of the fire.
Shawn Porter, the executive director of Look Park, said Monday that there have been no further sightings of the person in the baseball cap employees saw “scurrying” away from the scene of the fire on Saturday.
Fire Chief Duane Nichols declined to comment on the cause of the fire or whether arson is suspected, other than to say that the investigation continues.
Nichols said he is unsure if the person in the baseball cap has anything to do with the fire’s cause. “We don’t know if that’s related or not,” he said. “Due to the dryness out there, it’s hard to say what the cause is.”
Nichols said two fire engines reported to the scene within five minutes of the call about 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Firefighters were at the park for about three hours putting out the blaze, and were aided by employees using a backhoe to move dirt around and squelch the flames.
The fire occurred in an area at the edge of the park, where Look Park employees store regularly store trimmings and scrap wood from regular park maintenance.
Nichols said he is not advising people against having brush piles, but cautioned that with such dry conditions, “it doesn’t take much to get something started.”
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com.