New London - Investigation into a suspicious fire at a vacant building in Fort Trumbull is slated to continue on Friday, the same day as a scheduled demolition of the burned three-story structure.

A blaze on Tuesday evening caused severe damage to the aging industrial building at 95 Trumbull St., owned by Bill Cornish, a landlord and member of the city's development arm, the Renaissance City Development Association.

Fire Marshal Vernon Skau will be on hand Friday with firefighters until the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire is completed. Mayor Michael Passero said Cornish has contracted Barberi Brothers Demolition to begin taking down the building.  

Passero said the city's building department will help facilitate a demolition permit and the contractor must also obtain the necessary permits from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection related to any contaminants on the property.

Passero said there is the possibility that a police cadaver dog is brought to the scene as a precautionary measure to ensure there is not a body in the fire debris.   

- Greg Smith