MALABAR, Fla. – Investigators combed through the remnants of a Malabar home to determine what caused an overnight fire that sent flames shooting through the roof and left a woman displaced. No one was injured in the fire and the homeowner was away at the time.
"It was a total loss," Malabar Fire Department Chief Christopher Robinson told Local 6 News partner Florida Today. "It was actually spotted by a passerby on Interstate 95 who called to report a brush fire," he said, adding that Palm Bay Fire Rescue crews responded first but were unable to gain access to the area where the glow of the fire was seen.
The fire was reported at about 11:50 p.m. Saturday. Malabar Fire Department crews were then dispatched to Atz Road, which sits just east of the interstate in a heavily-rural area off of Weber Road. Firefighters arrived at the end of Atz Road and found about 85 percent of the home engulfed in smoke and flames. Palm Bay and Brevard County Fire Rescue crews assisted with containing the house fire.
"The home burned for an undetermined amount of time before we got there. Had someone seen it earlier, we may have been able to save it," Robinson said.
The woman who lived in the home was at work and her three children were on vacation at the time. She was being assisted by family members, Robinson said.
A state fire marshal is conducting an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire.