Neighbors discouraged by possible arson

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - 22News was there as an early morning fire Sunday destroyed an abandoned two and a half story house at 253 Central Street  in Springfield's Six Corners-Maple High neighborhood. Dennis Leger, the aide to fire commissioner Joseph Conant, said the fire may have been set.

It was around 2 o'clock Sunday morning when a fire on the first floor of a Central Street house tore through the rest of the place. But there wasn't just one source of the flames-- firefighters fought two different areas of the house, which could suggest this fire was no accident at all.

People who live and work in this tornado impacted neighborhood say an event like this certainly doesn't help in the recovery.

“If you want to sell a house it will be more difficult because of stuff like this. It's not a good thing for the area. It just makes the area look worse than it is,” said Luis Cortes, who lives nearby.

“All these workers that are actually helping our community, they're going out there working hard and then something like this happens and they have to keep on, so it never ends,” said Josue Santos, who lives nearby.

Doug Hemmings says this isn't the neighborhood he used to know. And it could take years for it to return.

“I think it's terrible. That's disgusting. No one wants to see that. It's got to stop. But when?” said Hemmings.

A question residents hope is answered much sooner than later.