BETHESDA, Md. (AP) -- A suspicious fire destroyed a vacant house in Bethesda early Saturday morning, amid claims by the home's owner that firefighters didn't do all they could to save the property.
The home in the 9100 block of Charred Oak Drive burned to the ground just after midnight.
At least eight other fires have occurred there in the last two years. Neighbors said the home had been an eyesore.
Homeowner Kathleen Jongedyk said someone set the fire to ``drive her out.'' She also accused Montgomery County firefighters of failing to fight the fire aggressively.
Capt. Oscar Garcia said nearby units responded quickly to the scene, but that the home was already engulfed by the time firefighters arrived. Garcia said crews took the safest action possible to protect firefighters from injury.
The exact cause remains under investigation.
