Barrington Fire cause may never be known, sources say

Firefighters from across the region battle a fire in a barn converted to duplex, left (Jeff Feenstra photo), while photos on Zillow show what it looked like before the blaze (Courtesy/Zillow.com)

BARRINGTON - While the state's Fire Marshal's Office continues to investigate a Friday fire that destroyed a Barrington duplex converted from an antique barn, it is likely the cause will never be determined, The Rochester Voice has learned.

Firefighters responded to the blaze at 22 Ross Road a little after 3 p.m., and it quickly went to four alarms, with crews responding from as far away as Epping, Nottingham and Berwick, Maine.

The duplex was on the market for nearly $335,000, boasting "rustic charm with wide pine flooring, post and beam details and large windows."

No one was living at the residence at the time of the fire, but Barrington Fire Chief Rick Walker said on Monday one of the units was visited occasionally by the owner of the building. The other unit was unoccupied.

No one was at the residence at the time of the fire, officials said.

Walker said the post and beam construction made it very hard for fire crews to get at the flames, which started on the first floor and climbed up the structure between the ceiling and the roof.

The blaze was reported under control by around 6 p.m.

Walker said the building was insured.

The fire remains under investigation by the state's Fire Marshal's Office, which did not return a phone call on Monday.