State fire marshal calls situation at New Smyrna Beach house 'suspicious'

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – A house fire in New Smyrna Beach is now being deemed suspicious by the state fire marshal. 

"I just, I'm at (a) loss," homeowner Janer Jeffers said. "I'm just at loss for words."

Jeffers said she's currently out of town for work, but it's hard to see images of her house on Turnbull Road up in flames.

"I'm in South Dakota and all I can do is talk to my neighbor and (have) him tell me what's going on," Jeffers said. "This is our home. Everything we own is in that house, besides what's with us now."

Tyler Simmons said his family has been living on the property next door for decades, and he pulled up Wednesday night to see emergency crews trying to put the fire out. 

"It was very big," Simmons said. "You could feel the heat all the way out to the street here. They were above the trees. It lit up the whole area."

The house is listed on the real estate site Zillow for more than $500,000.

The state fire marshal said a burglary took place before the fire. Now, the home is considered a total loss. 

"I don't know who could ever do that, and I have an alarm system on my house, so ... I just can't imagine anybody (doing this)," Jeffers said. "I have no enemies that would do something like this. Robbing was one (thing), but to burn your house down?​"

The state marshal said the fire caused about $400,000 worth of damage.