Outdoor gear and goods shop destroyed by fire

Author: Andrea Glaessner

A grey sky looms over the charred skeleton of a building with white letters spelling out "Vermont Field Sports," barely hanging on to the slanting faÁade. Still damp from gallons of water firefighters used to douse the flames that engulfed the outdoor sports store for nearly 10 hours beginning Thursday night, the now oblique-shaped edifice looks as though it might collapse at any moment.

The fire that burned down the popular outdoor goods and gear shop left nothing but soot and ashes in its wake, and its cause is still unknown. According to Middlebury Fire Chief Rick Cole, "The fire started at about 10:30 p.m. and [firefighters] pulled out about 7 a.m. the next morning." Cole emphasized that the fire was "pretty serious" and on a scale of one to ten, the fire chief claimed the blaze was about a seven. The store was full of guns and ammunition, compounding problems for the firefighters who had to dodge exploding shell casings amidst leaping flames and dense smoke. "The bullets themselves are not that dangerous, they just explode, but they don't project. But the shell casings explode, so all we could do was fight from the outside."

911 dispatchers received a call about the fire at around 10:30 p.m. and Middlebury, Bristol and New Haven fire departments all responded, with Weybridge assisting in extinguishing the flames as well. Cole confirmed that at least one Middlebury student volunteer firefighter was on the scene, but the student was unavailable for comment as the department had asked the volunteers to refrain from discussing the fire with the press. The State Fire Department is currently investigating whether foul play was at hand in sparking the fire, but Cole confirmed that "they're still trying to figure out what happened."

Patricia Gregorio, a guest staying at the Blue Spruce Motel just down Rte. 7, was an eye-witness to the fire.

"There was a lot of smoke and the lightning and thunder made it pretty dramatic. Everyone was taken aback and it was disconcerting for a moment," said Gregorio, who ventured outside after the electricity in her room was suddenly cut off while she was mid-phone conversation. "My understanding is that [the electricity] was intentionally cut off to prevent the fire from spreading south."

Chief Cole confirmed Brant's explanation for the sudden electricity shortage. "We had the electricity shut off for about 30 minutes because of the intensity of the fire and the fact that there is a major power feed on the road," he said.

Back at the scene on Saturday afternoon, nearly two days after flames consumed the sports store and everything inside it, a blue sedan sat parked alongside the yellow caution tape barricade surrounding the scorched building and the parking lot in front. A pick-up truck pulled up alongside the sedan and a coffee cup was passed through the car window and handed to Rich Groman, the man in charge of securing the site, making sure no trespassers ventured near the burned-down building.

Groman munched on a McDonald's apple pie while Greg Boglioli, who had arrived minutes before in the pick-up truck to drop off coffee and a snack for his friend, recounted what they knew of Thursday's fire. "I guess according to firemen it burned pretty hot ÖYou can look in there and see there's just nothing left," said Boglioli, pointing at the interior of the sooty, dilapidated building. Groman nodded solemnly, adding, "No one got injured and that's a blessing, that's for sure."

Vermont Field Sports, owned by Dick Phillips, "had it all" according to Boglioli, a hunter and an all-around outdoorsmen who frequented the shop for fishing gear, clothes and all his other outdoor gear needs. Boglioli appreciated the "small town touch" Vermont Field Sports offered its clientele, and Groman concurred.

"It was also a good place to just hang out and talk to people [who know a lot about outdoor sports]," said Groman.

Boglioli and Groman reminisced about the important role the outdoors store played in the community, explaining, "It was one of the few places students [from the College] could go to meet townspeople, you know, townies. There's not a whole lot of mingling between the two, but I think that definitely happened here [at the shop]."

Peter Burton is the Golf Course Superintendent and Ski Shop Manager at the College. He is also a fly fisherman who has taught countless customers at Vermont Field Sports as well as a number of students in the Middlebury Fly Fishing Club how to tie flys. He confirmed that the store had been a rare source of interaction between the town and students.

"Most students who fly fish went there. It's the place to go," said Burton. "The only place closer with that kind of range of equipment is in Burlington."

Burton, a friend of Dick Phillips since the two attended high school together in Bridport, began helping out at the shop about ten years ago, after Phillips had asked him for his expertise and assistance in helping to expand the fly fishing department.

Phillips could not be reached for comment at the time this article went to press, but Burton offered a poignant description of the man who tragically lost his entire shop to the fire last Thursday. "He's a very personable guy, energetic about sports. He's also a great storyteller. Anytime you went in to buy something, there was always a story to go along with it."

According to Burton, Phillips served as an officer for the Middlebury Police Department for about 20 years or so and after he retired, "he set up the store so he could run it during retirement. This was his passion."

For now, Burton hopes Phillips will be able to pick up the pieces and start over sometime soon.

"Ever since I heard about the fire, I've been thinking about what other building [Dick] could use right now," said Burton. "It would be wonderful if there was the energy to get this started again."