Fire destroys home in Plymouth; electrical fault seen as cause

By Eric Moskowitz and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

The fire that destroyed a Plymouth cottage early this morning was most likely caused by an electrical problem and was not a case of arson, officials said this afternoon.

“There is no evidence to suggest this was an intentionally-set fire,” State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said in a statement.

Coan said the fire began next to a couch in the living room. The house was used year-round but the occupants were away for the holidays.

“Reconstruction of the scene points to an electrical cause of the fire,” said Coan. But, he said, since all of the electrical components were destroyed by the fire, the fire’s cause will officially be categorized as “undetermined.”

“Every fire is a tragedy but it always feels worse around the holidays,” said Fire Chief Edward Bradley in the statement.

The fire drew scrutiny after a recent string of arson or suspected arson fires in Southeastern Massachusetts.

The fire occurred early this morning on Sea View Drive, an oceanfront street lined mostly with seasonal properties, neighbor Bob Kelly said.

The Patriot Ledger reported that the Plymouth Fire Department was alerted at 3 a.m. to the fire at 116 Sea View.

Plymouth assessing records show the home is a shingled four-room ranch built in 1955 on about an eighth of an acre.