Jacksonville man loses Northside home in fire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Northside man said he has nothing but the clothes on his back after a fire destroyed his home Saturday morning.

Firefighters from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded to the home on Silver Street around 6:15 a.m. Crews battled the flames for well over 20 minutes.

“It was very emotional to see 30, 40 firefighters out here trying to save my home,” Michael Reed said.

Reed, who wasn’t home at the time, said he received a call from a neighbor that his home was on fire.

“I could look from the outside in and it's just charcoal. Everything is gone,” Reed said.

The JFRD fire chief on scene said based on his conversation with Reed, they are calling the fire suspicious. The fire is now being investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Investigators believe the fire started toward the back of the home, near Reed’s bedroom.

“It's very suspicious. I left nothing on. There's nothing on in my bedroom,” Reed said.

The Red Cross was called in to assist Reed.

“They said it would probably help get a place for about two nights and then I'm on my own,” Reed said.

Reed said he will start looking for another place to live. He said he is just thankful he is alive.

“I've got to start from the ground up. It's a blessing that I'm still alive,” Reed said.

Cox Media Group