Newport House Fire Ruled Suspicious

An early morning fire on Bedlow Avenue in Newport has been ruled suspicious, police reports say. A family of six, including a two-year-old, were inside at the time of the fire, but escaped with no injuries. 

Police were dispatched to 18 Bedlow Ave. at approximately 1:05 a.m. on Tuesday morning for a house fire. The Newport Fire Department was on the scene when they arrived.

The front corner of the house was engulfed in flames and had spread to the roof. It was contained to the east side of the home and was extinguished quickly, reports said.

The fire appeared to have started on the outside of the home on top of the shingles and caused severe charring.

A woman who lived in the house said she had gone to bed around 12:30 a.m. and about 15 minutes later heard what she thought was a bottle breaking in the driveway. She said she looked outside and saw an orange glow. When she went outside to investigate further, she saw the house was on fire.

The woman also reported hearing squealing tires but was unsure if the noise was from a car or from the fire. 

A neighbor also told police she had heard glass breaking.

Fire damage was reported inside the walls and on the roof, as well as heavy water, smoke and fire damage to the attic and items inside. Damage is estimated at $5,000.

Fire Marshall Wayne Clark ruled the fire suspicious due to the fact that there was no ledge indicating someone had been resting a cigarette, the lack of wires in the area and no evidence of an accelerant around the area it had started. The cause is still unknown.

If you have any information that you would like to report, contact the Newport Police Department at 401-847-8300.

This report is based on information provided by the Newport Police Department.