Pair Of Florida Fires Spark Suspicion

March 2, 2006
Investigators said the fire sparked suspicion when the first deputy to respond to the blaze found the back door to the funeral home open

Two businesses went up in flames early Thursday morning in Volusia County.

The fires started at about 3 a.m. at the Altman-Long Funeral Home and spread along Highway 1792, WESH 2 News reported. The funeral home is owned by Volusia County Councilman Bill Long.

Investigators said the fire sparked suspicion when the first deputy to respond to the blaze found the back door to the funeral home open.

An arson-investigating dog was called in to sniff for flammable materials in the funeral home, which smoldered for hours.

The Demattio family, who own the destroyed Debary furniture store, said they lost their business of 23 years.

Jane Demattio said that she is relieved that no one got hurt, and that she is not jumping to conclusions about the cause of the fire.

An investigator with the Florida Fire Marshal's Office said the fire was intentionally set, but that officials don't know the exact cause. The investigator said they hope to know more after evidence found at the scene is sent to a lab.

The fire did not affect the 30 bodies inside All Florida Crematory, a nearby business.

Copyright 2006 by WESH.COM. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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