Arson Suspected in Vacant N.C. Mobile Home Fire

Sept. 24--RED SPRINGS -- The Robeson County Sheriff's Department is investigating a fire that destroyed a mobile home on Sunday as an arson. It burned the day after renters moved out.

Lt. Brian Duckworth, a fire investigator with the Sheriff's Office, said the fire at 142 Richland Drive started in the living room or kitchen area of the home at about 6:30 a.m. He said it's unclear what started the fire.

"The power had been cut off," Duckworth said. "It's not an electrical fire whatsoever."

Duckworth said the owner of the home, Michelle Oxendine of Deep Branch Road, is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest.

Duckworth said there were very little furnishings left in the house as renters of the home had moved out on Saturday night. Oxendine, who has owned the home for about eight years, was trying to sell the home.

According to Duckworth, the 26-foot-by-76-foot double-wide mobile home was valued at about $100,000. She did not have insurance on the home, he said.

"It also damaged the garage built on to it," he said. "They saved the garage ... ."

Firefighters from the Burnt Swamp-Philadelphus Fire Department, Pembroke and Prospect volunteer fire departments took about three hours to extinguish the blaze.

Anyone with information should call the Sheriff's Office at 910-737-5067 or at 910-671-3100.

Copyright 2013 - The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C.