Collier authorities investigate house arson

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla.- An early morning fire at a home in Naples Park is now being investigated as arson.

Flames ripped through the home on 96th Avenue North around 3 a.m. Smoke poured out the windows as the glass shattered and sent flames shooting into the sky.

The explosion was so loud, it woke up neighbors.

“We came out the back window and there was flames, that had to be 40 or 50 feet high. It was just incredible,” said Patrick Soybert.

“The house, that car, everything is a total loss. Right at Christmas time… you never know what could have been in there,” said Michael Cavender.

Firefighters say the home was destroyed and confirm that the fire was intentionally set.

According to officials, no one was home at the time. The State Fire Marshal and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

WINK News discovered the homeowners live in Ohio and have owned the property since 1995. The State Fire Marshal’s office says they’re out of the country and haven’t lived in the house for at least the past year.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arsonist.