DIXFIELD — A weekend fire that destroyed a shed and lawn mower at Riverside Cemetery on Canton Point Road remains under investigation, Dixfield fire Chief Scott Dennett said Wednesday.

Dennett said that around 2 p.m. Sunday a resident reported a shed was on fire at the cemetery.

“We were lucky that the grass was wet, which prevented it from spreading too far, but there was a lot of wind that day, so we were worried about it spreading into the nearby woods,” Dennett said. “All in all, there was a 15- by 30-foot spot of damage.”

Dixfield and Peru fire departments quickly extinguished the fire.

The shed and the lawn mower in it were destroyed, Dennett said. The shed was insured for $10,000; the lawn mower for approximately $2,700.

Dennett said police Lt. Jeff Howe is investigating the cause of the fire.

“There’s no way of knowing at this point, but based on the circumstances, I’d say it was set,” Dennett said. “There’s no electricity going to that building and there were no lightning strikes that day. It’s still undetermined, though, until the investigation is completed.”

mdaigle@sunjournal.com

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