Officials Investigate Suspicious Fire In Well-Occupied Detroit Neighborhood
DETROIT (WWJ) - Firefighters rushed to Detroit's east side after flames ripped through a home in a well-occupied neighborhood, leaving just the melted shell of a building behind.
The fire broke out early Wednesday at a two-story home in the 3800 block of St. Clair Street, near Mack Avenue and French Street.
Reporting live from the scene, WWJ's Ron Dewey said the house was completely burned to the ground, with its roof collapsed and walls reduced to rubble.
Fire crews pumped water on the flames to keep the blaze contained, while others doused a house next door to prevent the fire from spreading. Officials say the home was vacated about a week ago and no one was injured.
Roger Love, who lives across the street from the burned home, said the fire was no accident.
"They pulled up in a late-model gray car and set the house on fire then sped up the street. They almost hit the tree down there, there's a tree that fell and they almost ran into it trying to get away," Love said. "They went in there and set it on fire. They didn't fire bomb it, they walked in there with a gas can and set that thing on fire and pulled off."
Arson investigators are working on the case but have not yet identified a suspect.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 and CBSDetroit.com for the latest.