GLEN SPEY, NY — Colin Dickerman, who lives in New York City but has been spending weekends in Yulan for 15 years, decided he would build a new home in the Black Forest Community in Glen Spey. He hired a contractor and the house was well on its way to being habitable when it burned down in May 2014.

Dickerman said there was nothing inside to spark a fire, the electricity had not been installed and there was no gas being piped into the building, which had not yet had the windows installed. An investigation into whether the fire was arson was inconclusive.

Dickerman started over and got further along than before when, again, the house on Black Forest Road burned down. This time the electric was installed, but it was not turned on, and again Dickerman said there was nothing in the house that would have ignited a fire.

Dickerman said the first time his future home burned he received very little in the way of insurance. Asked if he would try again, he said he did not know if he could do that. Police are investigating.