JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A deadly house fire in the Springfield neighborhood is now under investigation after neighbors say they heard a heated argument and even a threat just before flames broke out.
When Action News Jax arrived at the scene, neighbors questioned what sparked the fire that left one man dead inside the home. Investigators are now working to determine whether the fire was intentionally set.
A couple who live next door said late Friday night, what first sounded like the usual noise quickly escalated. They did not want to be identified for their safety.
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One neighbor described the moments leading up to the fire.
“Last night by 11-ish p.m. I’m in bed but I was about to go to sleep and then she’s in bed watching TV. We hear scuffle next-door, but didn’t think nothing of it because we always hear them next door just chilling talking and having your time but scuffle has more serious words woke up and saw the fire,” an anonymous neighbor said.
That neighbor said one particular statement stood out.
“Yeah so one of the things about this particular conversation last night was somebody said I’m gonna kill you,” said the anonymous neighbor.
Another neighbor also reported hearing a disturbance before flames were visible.
“It was like a loud noise. Real loud noise sound like somebody was banging against some cars or something like that. I know I looked around I couldn’t see anybody but it was definitely somebody outside and they were talking trash. I couldn’t make out what it was exactly what they were saying, but they were loud. They were real loud and that was before the fire started,” the neighbor said.
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The homeowner of the burned house did not want to appear on camera but said the victim was his cousin, a man in his 50s.
“Real good, man. I feel sad. I feel bad, real hurt feeling inside,” the homeowner of the burned house said.
He said he lives in the home with family and rents rooms to other tenants. He was not home when the fire started, but said neighbors later told him what happened.
“The neighbor next door, his wife, said she heard someone cursing, and then all of a sudden she heard a blast. BOOM!“
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the cause of the fire.
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When asked whether foul play is suspected, Sergeant Mathews with JSO’s Homicide Unit said:
“We have not been able to rule it out, but it is an active investigation.”
Authorities have not yet released the victim’s name as investigators work to determine exactly how the fire started and whether it was intentional.
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