A fire in Sanford didn't just burn down one house, it also caught the home next door on fire. The home at 13th Place and Main Street, where the fire started, was abandoned, leaving investigators wondering how it was set.
An investigator with the State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating, but the fire was so intense it may have destroyed valuable evidence.
The place where a condemned house once stood is now a pile of charred debris, still smoldering hours after it burned to the ground.
"I've never seen a fire that big before in my entire life. I've seen it like that it on TV, but not door-to-door, next door to me," said neighbor Jacqueline Foster.
The State Fire Marshal's Office is looking in to it with help from the Sanford Fire Department. Investigators think it's suspicious because the house had been vacant for at least six months and didn't have any power.
"If this fire was intentionally set, there's a possibility that some residue, could get a sample to know exactly what was used to start a fire," said Mark James, Sanford Fire Department.
As a result, the house next door was severely damaged. Inside firefighters found evidence that someone lives there.
"I'm attempting to contact them now. My understanding is that they're in south Florida and possibly rent this out," James said.
Investigators don't have many clues. They're hoping a cash reward will encourage people who live nearby to come forward with valuable information.
There's a possibility someone broke into the house and tried to stay warm, but it could take days, if not weeks before investigators determine the exact cause of the fire.
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