Fire Destroys Home of Aerosmith Bassist
(article from The Boston Herald, May 13, by Jessica Heslam)

A roaring fire destroyed the Cape Cod summer home of Aerosmith
bassist Tom Hamilton, who yesterday stopped by the charred remains of
the house he was in the midst of renovating.

``It was a blazing inferno. Only two chimneys are left standing.
Tom's doing all right. As he said, `It hasn't sunk in yet. I'm just
numb,' '' said one of Hamilton's West Barnstable neighbors who wanted
to remain anonymous.

No one was in Hamilton's secluded home on Packet Landing Road when
the 3-alarm blaze was spotted about 6:45 p.m. Neighbors said the
quick-spreading fire was out-of-control and reduced the old-style
Cape to ruins in about two hours.

Authorities are investigating whether there is any connection between
that fire and a barn fire that began about 15 minutes later less than
a mile from the rock star's home. Investigators yesterday were
probing the cause of the fires, which caused a combined $500,000 in
damages. Scores of firefighters snuffed out both fires by 11 p.m. One
firefighter was treated for minor injuries.

State and local police used accelerant-sniffing canines to comb
through the charred rubble at the two locations yesterday. State Fire
Marshal Stephen Coan said, ``There is no preliminary cause for either
fire at this time.''

As fire swept through the barn Saturday, civilians led out about a
half-dozen horses.

Hamilton's neighbor told police about a suspicious-looking vehicle
that pulled into her driveway about 10 minutes before the fire
started at Hamilton's home.

``I really think it was set. Police are questioning someone,'' said
the neighbor. ``It was a lovely house. He's a wonderful man and a
wonderful neighbor.''

Hamilton, who lives in Newton with his wife and two children, had
moved all the furniture out of his summer digs while building an
addition twice the size of the original house, neighbors said.

Hamilton, who has owned the home for about 10 years, was described
yesterday as a low-key, good neighbor.

``Everybody knows him. Everybody likes him,'' said another neighbor.
``Everyone thinks it was set.''


as always courtesy of daniel @ http://www.theaerohaven.com