Photos by Richard W Dionne Jr
Portsmouth Police Detective Stephen Burns lifts up a piece of rubble while sifting through the remains of the burned cottage at 0151 Concord Avenue, Prudence Island on Thursday, Sept. 27.
The west side house burned to the groundearly last Tuesday. Later, human remains were found inside and taken back to the state Medical Examiner’s office. Officials there have said it may be awhile before they can make positive identification or determine a cause of death.
Still not accounted for is the young man whom sources say had rented the house — Shannon Cubellis.
Portsmouth Police Detectives Scott Travers (left) and Stephen Burns look for evidence while sifting through the remains of the burned cottage at 0151 Concord Avenue, Prudence Island on Thursday, Sept. 27.
“It was gone before we even knew about it.”
They had the engines, including the ‘new’ one shipped out from Bristol months ago, and manpower they needed, “but as usual the challenge was water.”
Keeping water pressure up for the hoses was difficult and all water had to be trucked in from two big supply tanks on the island.
Other complications included live electrical wires, a propane tank and reports that there was live ammunition inside the house. The ammunition could be heard popping off early on “but was never really a problem,” Chief Marshall said, nor was that propane tank.
Asked whether it was also emotionally difficult dealing turned out to be a fatal fire on an island where everyone knows everyone, the chief replied, “Always.”
The fire apparently had a good head start in the house which is located in the lightly populated (especially at this time of year) west side of the island.
In fact, the first people to see the fire may not even have been on Prudence Island.
Islander Ed Giarrusso said he got a call at around 7:30 a.m. from a friend on Jamestown who asked what all the smoke was. Mr. Giarrusso called the fire department to report a possible fire. At the same time, another islander saw the smoke and drove to the fire station — word from both arrived at about the same time.
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- Photos by Richard W Dionne Jr Portsmouth Police Detective Stephen Burns lifts up a piece of rubble while sifting through the remains of the burned cottage at 0151 Concord Avenue, Prudence Island on Thursday, Sept. 27.
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- Portsmouth Police and state Fire Marshal’s office investigators sift through the rubble two days after the fire.
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- Portsmouth Police Detectives Scott Travers (left) and Stephen Burns look for evidence while sifting through the remains of the burned cottage at 0151 Concord Avenue, Prudence Island on Thursday, Sept. 27.
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