Northpinellas: Suspicious fire guts vacant house

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Suspicious fire guts vacant house

By TIMES WIRES
Published April 4, 2007

TARPON SPRINGS - Fire destroyed a home at 1215 Boyer St. early Tuesday, and arson is suspected.

Firefighters were called to the home about midnight, and the house already was fully engulfed in flames, said Tarpon Springs Division Chief and Fire Marshal Rick Butcher.

Firefighters from Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor and East Lake Fire Rescue responded to the blaze. The fire took about 90 minutes to douse. No one was injured.

An arson dog and fire marshal from Palm Harbor Fire Rescue came to the scene and discovered evidence that some kind of accelerant was used in the fire. Samples will be sent to a lab to test that theory.

The house is vacant, with an out-of-state owner, Butcher said. Its value was estimated at $126,000, according to the Pinellas County Property Appraiser.