Winfield fire and police investigators believe a blaze that destroyed a vacant home may have been intentionally set and an arson investigation has begun, Deputy Chief and fire marshal Alan Stoll said Tuesday.
"We don’t really have a cause right now and I’d like to keep it at that for now," he said.
Stoll did confirm that the probe into the cause of the fire was being considered an arson investigation.
Just before 2 a.m. Sunday, firefighters responded to the report of a home on fire at 811 Mansfield in Winfield. The arrived to find the home engulfed in flames.
Although the fire was extinguished in time to allow the three-story structure to remain standing, the house was a total loss.
"They’ll have to tear it down," Stoll said. "It’ll have to be bulldozed."
The property was valued at under $30,000 and had a few items of furniture inside. No one was living at the home at the time. Some renters had moved out about two weeks prior to the fire, Stoll said.
James Mooney and Jean Mooney are owners of the home.
Firefighters from Burden, Udall and Arkansas City were involved in fighting the fire.
With no one occupying the home and given that there were no utilities on at the time, fire officials became suspicious about a cause.
"I think you can draw your own conclusions there," Stoll said.
The home was uninsured, he said, so investigators have ruled out the home being burned down for insurance proceeds.
Stoll said he would release more information as it becomes available.
