Binghamton Crime Stoppers Current Cases

Indian Valley Arson Fire

On Tuesday, August 28, 2004, a fire of suspicious origin occurred on the north side of Binghamton, New York. At 4:14 PM, on that date, the Binghamton Fire Department was summoned to the Indian Valley Bag building at 24 - 42 Montgomery Street, Binghamton, on a report of a structure fire. Upon arrival, firefighters found the entire 480 foot long, 1 story structure fully encompassed in flames and thick smoke. A second alarm was called in at 4:17 PM, to summon additional resources to assist with extinguishing the fire. It took about two hours before the fire was under control, however, the fire burned with such intensity that even after 24 hours, firefighters were still applying water to the building’s ruins. Additionally, several nearby railroad cars were destroyed in the blaze. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is being conducted by the Binghamton Fire Marshal’s Office, assisted by Binghamton Police Detectives. The initial determination is that the fire was not started through natural or accidental means. The building was a warehouse owned by the Indian Valley Bag Company, which had been vacant for several years. Utilities including water, gas and electric were turned off, and had been for a number of years. The speed with which the fire burned as well as the amount of involvement for that time of the day contribute to the belief that this incident is an arson.

The building was a total loss, and the ruins will be demolished and removed from the scene.

Along with specific suspect information, Investigators would be interested in any observations of suspicious individuals or activities that may have been observed in or around the building, not only on the day of the fire, but also in the days prior to the incident.

Binghamton Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1000.00 for information which leads to the arrest and indictment of the individual(s) responsible for these crimes.


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