Marshals investigating suspicious house fire on Staten Island; 1 person in custody
RANDALL MANOR, Staten Island (WABC) -- A man is in custody as fire marshals investigate a suspicious house fire that broke out on Staten Island on Wednesday.
The three-alarm fire started just after 1 p.m. on North Burgher Avenue in the Randall Manor section.
FDNY officials say firefighters discovered heavy flames in the back of 131 North Burgher Ave., a multi-family home.
Neighbors watched nervously with their phones out as the smoky fire spread to homes on either side.
The FDNY began looking into whether or not the fire was set purposely once they had it under control.
"The fire is considered suspicious," said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief David Simms.
FDNY fire marshals are questioning a man who lived in the home in the middle.
Neighbors who saw the man being taken into custody say he has a history of erratic behavior.
His mother, who wasn't home at the time, was distraught.
"I just feel so sorry for her. I'll be honest," said neighbor Joe Parnell. "She was crying. I was consoling her and everything. It's just sad, it really is."
The home that was most damaged by the fire was next door, belonging to a woman in her 80's who got out safely. Her children came to help recover what they could.
"This is the house where we all grew up, and it's pretty much gone," said the daughter of the homeowner Nancy Hagans.
Hagans says their fear is that their mom's beloved feline companion, Cyrus, didn't survive. Her cat is missing.
Her family can't help but wonder if what happened Wednesday night was preventable.
"Mental health is a big thing, and people should get help," Hagans said. "And look what happened. Now my mother's house is gone and thank god she's alive. Thank god she's not hurt."
"Hopefully he gets the help he needs," said the son of a homeowner Dave Cantave. "It could have been a tragedy. Life could have been lost. Thankfully, no life was lost."
No one was injured in the fire.
The FDNY is still investigating the exact cause of the suspicious fire.
No arrests have been made, and no charges have been filed yet for the man they are questioning.
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