MERIDEN - The fire that ripped through a vacant home on Center Street Monday evening was intentionally set, fire officials said Tuesday.

Fire Marshal Steve Trella said an overnight investigation revealed that the fire, at 342 Center St., was not only intentional, but had been set at several points within the house. No one was found during rescue searches inside, said Deputy Chief David Bowen.

"We are continuing to investigate and can't release much at this point, but there is no doubt this was intentional," Trella said.

Firefighters responded to the two-alarm blaze at 7:21 p.m. Monday, arriving to find the house engulfed in flames. Bowen said the first trucks were able to respond in minutes, but firefighters were delayed from attacking the fire after an electrical wire attached to the home burned and fell into nearby bushes. Although the home was unoccupied, the wires were live.

Trella said firefighters also struggled to extinguish flames on the second floor because the fire spread into a bedroom that contained a variety of combustible items, including a couch, chair and paperwork. The fire quickly spread into the attic and onto the roof, forcing firefighters to remove part of the front porch roof to fight hidden flames.

The South Meriden Volunteer Fire Department and Berlin Fire Department covered Meriden while city firefighters dealt with the blaze.

The home is one of many properties in Meriden that have been foreclosed in the last year.

A property deed lists the Bank of New York as the homeowner. The house had been foreclosed on in May, and city Community Development Coordinator Juliet Burdelski said the property is also delinquent on its water and sewer charges.

Bank of New York representatives said the home is insured by the bank because it is considered an investment, but did not reveal the value of the property. The property is assessed at $122,808, according to city records.

Fire officials in both Meriden and Wallingford have been alerted through several organizations to watch for potential arson as the number of foreclosures has grown over the past year. They said the concern is that when people are about to lose their homes, they may try to seek insurance money through insurance fraud, or that arson may be used as a means of revenge. Neighborhood associations also fear that vacant houses will lead to more criminal mischief and possibly more serious crimes.

There have been about 100 foreclosures in Meriden between July 2007 and September 2008, Burdelski said, placing the city sixth on a state list of most troubled cities based on the number of foreclosures, subprime loans and percentage of homeowners impacted.

State Police Sgt. Chris Johnson said Tuesday that while fire marshals have been informed to look for possible arson of foreclosed properties, the state has not seen any increase in the need for such investigations despite the struggling housing and loan market over the past year.

Neighbors on Center Street said Tuesday they didn't know the home was foreclosed upon because there were often people in the house, and until recently it appeared there were still residents on the second floor.

The City Park Neighbhorhood Association was meeting Monday when the fire broke out, and Council of Neighborhoods President David Swedock said one agenda item was increased criminal mischief in the neighborhood.

"We talked about an increase in suspicious activity in that area, and when we learned of the fire we were immediately concerned," Swedock said. "Vacant homes can be a big problem for city residents."

According to city records and the neighborhood association, at least four other homes around City Park are unoccupied, and Swedock said area residents are concerned because these properties have a negative impact on the quality of life.

For many, vacant houses mean lower property values and increased crime, Swedock said.

Police were unable to comment on details of the case, but Sgt. Glenn Mislagle said a check of the address did not reveal any major incidents or arrests at the property recently.

jvallee@record-journal.com

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