A fire tore through the long-vacant Colonial Court Motel on East Main Street in Cobleskill on Tuesday morning, and by that afternoon police had an 18-year-old in custody facing felony arson and burglary charges. Investigators say they tracked down Evan Rivenburg near Granite Drive in the village hours after the flames broke out, recovering evidence and bringing him in for questioning before he was arraigned and sent to county custody.
Multiple 911 Calls, Conflicting Timelines
According to wnyt.com, the Schoharie County Dispatch Center fielded multiple calls about the fire at the motel, located at 1009 East Main St., at about 9:43 a.m. Accounts of exactly when the blaze started vary: Cobleskill Fire Department Chief Ben Righi told News10 the fire began around 9:45 a.m., while the Daily Gazette reported Righi placed the start time closer to 10 a.m. The discrepancy has not been resolved in any official record.
The response drew in the Cobleskill Fire Department, the Middleburgh Fire Department, Cobleskill EMS, the Cobleskill Police Department, New York State Police and the Schoharie County Sheriff's Department, per WRGB. Crews fought the blaze almost entirely from the outside. “We had to fight everything pretty much from the outside because we didn't want to put anyone at risk,” a fire official told News10.
Total Loss, Strained Water Supply
The motel, vacant for several years, is considered a total loss and will have to be demolished, News10 reported. A nearby diner did not catch fire, and fire officials believe it escaped significant smoke damage. The firefight also strained the village's water system: Cobleskill typically uses around 100,000 gallons at that hour of day, but usage topped 300,000 gallons during the response, according to the same report.
Accounts of how long crews stayed on scene also differ. One report noted the fire was brought under control around 2:30 p.m., while firefighters kept dousing hot spots until 7 p.m. that evening, per the same outlet's coverage.
Suspect Located, Charges Filed
Investigators located Rivenburg near Granite Drive in the village of Cobleskill at about 3:30 p.m., wnyt.com reported. Police said they recovered evidence and brought him to the Cobleskill Police Department for questioning before he was charged with third-degree arson and second-degree burglary — both felonies, per the station's report.
Rivenburg was then taken to Schoharie County Centralized Arraignment Court. Accounts of where he was sent afterward differ: wnyt.com reported he was remanded to the sheriff's corrections department, while a separate account from the same outlet's report indicated he was sent to the Schoharie County Jail.
What New York Law Says About the Charges
Under New York law, a person is guilty of third-degree arson when they intentionally damage a building or motor vehicle by starting a fire or causing an explosion, according to the New York State Senate's penal code. Second-degree burglary is classified as a class C felony under the statute, which references entry into a dwelling or entry while armed, per the same code.
Police said the investigation remains active, with investigators continuing to process evidence and follow up on additional leads. Authorities have said additional information will be released when available and appropriate, according to WRGB's reporting.
