MORETOWN — A fire that caused $450,000 in damage and destroyed a home last weekend has been deemed arson by state police.

The Moretown Fire Department called in fire investigators after extinguishing a blaze at 338 Dean’s Mountain Road in Moretown, then returning to a suspicious second fire at the same home early the next morning. The second fire completed the destruction of the home, which was owned by Michele Mitchell.

The fire department arrived at the first fire around 10:30 p.m. Saturday and were able to extinguish it and limit the damage, according to state police. They used thermal imaging cameras to check for any hot spots, and several firefighters remained at the house for four hours to be sure it did not rekindle.

The firefighters left around 2:30 a.m. but were called back at 3:26 a.m. and found the opposite end of the house on fire. Moretown called in mutual aid and found that a propane gas valve they had shut off while fighting the first fire had been turned back on.

A state police detective and an investigator from the Division of Fire Safety found that the second fire was purposefully set and are still looking into the cause of the first fire.

The state police are asking anyone with information to call the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program at 800-32 ARSON (for up to a $5,000 reward) or the Middlesex state police barracks.