RACINE, WI – No one was injured in a house fire that started in a vacant home early Thursday morning, April 23 at 1305 Bluff Avenue, but officials suspect foul play.
Officials with the Racine Fire Department Prevention Bureau believe the fire was set intentionally because they found incendiary material in multiple places. Sam and Lesia Driver own the home, according to a press release by the Racine Fire Department.
A person who had been passing by the home called the Racine County Joint Dispatch Center at 1:30 a.m. after seeing smoke in the neighborhood. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they forced entry into the two-story two-family home. Crews put out a fire in the kitchen, the second floor of the house and the attic.
The estimated loss is set at $50,400.
Anyone with information about the cause of this fire is asked to call Racine Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau at 262-635-7915. Additionally, callers can anonymously call the Arson Hotline 1-800-362-3005, which offers an award up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification of the person(s) responsible for setting this fire.
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