HAMPDEN -- The December 2016 fire that caused extensive damage to "The Castle," a Tudor-style mansion in Hampden, was caused by an unattended candle, according to state Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey and Hampden Fire Chief Michael Gorski.

"Ironically, this fire occurred on 'Candle Safety Day' last year, which is always the second Monday in December," Ostroskey told The Republican on Wednesday.

The Dec. 12 fire caused about $700,000 in damage to the landmark home at 48 Stafford Road, a rural area in the southeastern section of town near the Connecticut line.

No one was home when the afternoon fire broke out at the large, gated home with a storied past.

Off-duty Springfield firefighter Dennis Leger, who lives in the area, was driving by when he spotted flames shooting from the home.

"I yelled and yelled and nobody answered," the veteran fireman said in a December interview with The Republican.

Within seconds, a woman pulled up to the house and told Leger her dog was inside. Leger then entered the burning structure to retrieve the small dog, which was unharmed.

Massachusetts State Police troopers assigned to Ostroskey's office and members of the Hampden Fire Department jointly investigated the fire, determining that it was sparked by an unattended candle left burning in a second-floor bedroom.

Most candle fires in Massachusetts occur during the fall and winter, from roughly Halloween to New Year's, according to state fire officials.

"Sadly, the increased candle use at this time of year causes an increase in candle fires," Ostroskey said. "Candles should be blown out whenever you leave the room or go to sleep, and children should always be supervised around burning candles."

Ostroskey offered the following safety tips:

Burn candles within a 1-foot circle that is free of anything that can burn;

never leave candles burning unattended;

always extinguish candles after use;

make sure the saucer or candleholder you're using is noncombustible;

keep candles out of reach of children and pets;

and consider switching to battery-operated flameless candles.

The Castle is owned by the Hickson family, who have vowed to rebuild the historic home. The mansion is fronted by a stone wall about 5 feet high. A locked chain-link gate has been installed across the driveway to prevent trespassing.

Over the years, the Tudor-style estate has been tied to mobsters, politicians and even a spaghetti sauce magnate. It was built during the Great Depression by Dr. Charles Furcolo, the father of Foster J. Furcolo, Massachusetts' first Italian-American governor, who served from 1957 to 1961.

Prior to the Hicksons' ownership, the mansion was the former home of an interesting string of owners, including the late Thomas Cosenzi, of the Cosenzi auto dealership fame; Michael Cimmino, a restaurateur who pleaded guilty to a video poker ring, and son-in-law to Albert "Baba" Scibelli, a member of a well-known Springfield mob family; and Bernadette Sclafani, wife of canned tomato and spaghetti sauce mogul Joseph Sclafani, who died in 1988. Mrs. Sclafani died in 2002.

Dr. Furcolo, an Italian immigrant who delivered many of the babies born in Springfield's South End in the early 1900s, employed fellow Italian immigrant craftsmen from the neighborhood to help build the stone-studded mansion between 1932 to 1933.

The original estate included around 26 acres, a six-stall horse stable, underground wine cellar, gatehouse, and in-ground pool with a poolhouse. The mansion's prominent gatehouse, which some have likened to a guardhouse, was recently demolished after falling into disrepair.

The stones used during construction were gathered from local fields, but not by just any hired hands. According to newspaper articles at the time, many of the laborers were patients who owed money to Dr. Furcolo, who allowed them to work off their debts.

The round stones they gathered were used to cover the facade of the house, gatehouse and poolhouse. They were also used to build the estate wall bordering Stafford Road.

The mansion was built on the site of a former 18th century tavern along the Springfield-to-Stafford stagecoach line, according to a history of Hampden.

MAP showing location of "The Castle" in Hampden: