BRATTLEBORO, VT. (MyKeeneNow)  Brattleboro firefighters early Thursday morning to a major blaze that engulfed an abandoned structure on Canal Street.

The fire was reported just after 5 a.m., according to a press release from the Vermont State Police, at 45 Canal St., which previously housed the Sportsman’s Lounge bar and had also been converted into apartments. The building had been boarded up and unused for several years, officials confirmed.

According to Brattleboro Fire Chief Leonard Howard, fire crews arrived to find the entire structure already fully ablaze, prompting a defensive strategy to contain and extinguish the flames. Chief Howard emphasized that due to the fire’s extent, responders had to work from the outside to control it.

During his assessment of the scene, Howard noted that the building had frequently been visited by unhoused individuals who may have been squatting there. Concerned that there could be victims inside, he requested assistance from the Department of Public Safety’s Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit. Investigators joined Brattleboro firefighters on site, using an excavator to search through the structure’s remains, but no victims were found.

The fire left the building severely damaged, which limited investigators’ ability to determine the fire’s exact origin and cause. However, officials believe that “direct human involvement” was likely a factor in igniting the blaze, the release said. The investigation remains ongoing, led by the Brattleboro Police Department with support from the Department of Public Safety’s Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program. The program, independent of state and local police, offers up to $5,000 for tips that lead to an arrest.