Investigators are trying to find out who set two fires on a street in Murfreesboro.
Authorities are 99 percent sure the fire in a brand new house was arson, but what’s more concerning is it wasn’t the first time it had happened on this street.
The fire marshal is going through the remains of the two-story duplex on North Church Street to determine the cause of the fire.
The owners were two weeks away from getting to move into their dream home before the house went up in flames around 9:45 p.m. on Saturday.
“It’s so heart-breaking to watch as they see their beautiful new house and what it looks like now,” said Murfreesboro assistant fire marshal Michael Bartlett.
Officials don’t know who did this, but a homeowner in the neighborhood has the same problem and never found out who did it.
“Two houses down, somebody tried to light a fire in their detached garage and they also burned down two port-a-johns,” said Brian Burns with Blue Sky Construction. “Also up the street here, there was a house that burned down six months ago.”
Although the builder will gut this down to the studs, he’s not discouraged.
“No, we’re going to keep building,” said Burns. “There’s nothing I can do about it other than try and find out who did it.”
Officials said gas and electricity were not hooked up to the home.
The blaze started in the kitchen. The unit sustained extensive fire, smoke and heat damage.
Officials are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those suspected of setting these fires.
If you have any information about the fire, call the Fire Marshals’ Office at 615-849-2605, Rutherford County Crime Stoppers at 615-893-STOP or the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017. Callers can remain anonymous and are eligible for cash rewards for information leading to an arrest.
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