A blaze that ripped through the Misty Harbor Condominiums in Newport has led to the arrest of a Portsmouth man, who now faces arson charges. The fire, which resulted in the evacuation of six residents including two children, began yesterday morning and quickly intensified, requiring the intervention of several fire departments. Joseph Fragata, the man apprehended in connection with the incident, was taken into custody at his residence, according to details released by local authorities.
Detectives working the case unearthed an accelerant near where the fire started, bolstering their investigation. This evidence, along with video surveillance footage, has tied Fragata to the scene. In a statement obtained by NBC Boston, the police indicated that Fragata, who has past criminal history in Massachusetts, was arrested yesterday and is slated for a court appearance today. Additionally, officials seized his cellphone and car as part of the ongoing inquiry.
The inferno, which was reportedly confined to three of the 14 units within the complex, left the buildings uninhabitable. Fire Chief Humphrey Donnelly, in an interview with local media, conveyed the severity of the fire which escalated to third alarm status, prompting support from seven surrounding communities, including the Newport Navy Base. Complications from icy conditions and narrow streets added to the firefighting challenge, as teams converged on the site, with some equipment and personnel being stationed in neighboring Spencer Park and along Thames Street.
An unnamed former Grafton Street neighbor shared the extent of the devastation with WJAR, saying, "It's just destroyed. I mean, the first units are just cooked, roasted. They lost everything. There's no way anything survived, any furniture of whatever is gone." Neighbors watched as their community's physical footprint was reduced to ash, and they recounted the unexpected disruption of their morning routines to reporters, with one recalling their initial confusion at the sight of the emergency response.
