Waltham apartment complex fire was arson

WALTHAM — The massive fire that destroyed a big apartment complex under construction in Waltham in July was caused by arson, investigators said Thursday, with damages estimated at $110 million.

Initially, fire officials had said they did not believe the 10-alarm fire was suspicious. But once they began investigating the charred remains in detail, they began to rethink the cause, Fire Chief Paul Ciccone said.

“We systematically eliminated all possible causes,” said the state’s fire marshal, Peter J. Ostroskey. “That led us to this point.”

The blaze began in the early morning on Sunday, July 23, and demolished the five-building complex on Cooper Street near the Charles River. The 264 units were scheduled to open next year.

Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/08/10/waltham-fire-caused-arson/SNmrsSo98cUmTssaHJlLoJ/story.html