The Rhode Island Office of the State Fire Marshal ruled out arson two days after a serious fire swept through Matunuck Oyster Bar, forcing the popular oceanside dining destination to close.
But determining what caused the May 20 fire remains a mystery, complicated by the fact that the hard drive containing surveillance camera footage from the South Kingstown restaurant was destroyed in the blaze, the state fire marshal’s office announced Wednesday.
“Fires of this magnitude often leave limited physical evidence,” State Fire Marshal Timothy P. McLaughlin said in a statement. “Even so, our team is committed to uncovering the cause of the fire through a careful and comprehensive investigation.”
The update included a statement encouraging anyone with relevant information to come forward, including anonymously, by contacting the state fire marshal’s “24/7 Arson Tipline.”
That does not mean arson is being reconsidered as a cause, Matt Touchette, a spokesperson for the state fire marshal’s office, said in an interview. Touchette instead said the tipline is being used because it allows tipsters to report information anonymously.
“There’s no evidence to suggest that it was arson,” Touchette said, “That’s all I can say.”
But, he added, “it’s inconclusive. There are multiple ways this fire could have started. They just don’t know for sure.”
The state fire marshal’s office also said in its preliminary report that commercial cooking equipment did not directly cause the fire.
Footage from the restaurant cameras was not uploaded to any kind of cloud computer storage system prior to the hard drive being destroyed, Touchette said.
Perry Raso, oyster farmer and owner of the acclaimed dining spot, did not immediately respond to inquiries for comment.
While the Succotash Road building remains shuttered, Raso resurrected a temporary, outside dining spot in the marina parking lot across the street, welcoming diners starting on July 1. The seasonal solution, aided by a 2025 law easing state regulations on outdoor dining, also allowed Raso to bring back 50 of his 300-person staff.
Anyone with relevant information to the state investigation into the fire is asked to call the tipline at (401) 383-7723.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
