Blaze That Destroyed Charlton Winery Was Deliberately Set, Fire Marshal Says

A fire that destroyed a winery in the central Massachusetts town of Charlton was deliberately set, the state fire marshal said Wednesday.

The blaze, at Charlton Orchards Farm and Winery, started at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services said.

There were no injuries, but the blaze destroyed the winery and 4,000 gallons of wine, The Associated Press has reported.

The owners of the winery told The Worcester Telegram & Gazette they were frustrated by firefighters' response, in that they didn't use a pond on the property to draw water to fight the fire.

Owner Nathan Benjamin told The Boston Globe his family has been making wine at the farm since 1999 and began selling it in 2002.

Now that it's been deemed deliberately set, the state fire marshal is asking the public's assistance "with information pertaining to this fire."