Vacant building in Deland catches fire

DELAND, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Volusia County firefighters battled the flames in a vacant building in Deland. They say luckily no one was in the building, which used to be an internet gaming parlor.

“It was a vacant property,” explained Paul Ebanks, VCFR Division Chief, “originally I believe it was some kind of gaming place.

Investigators say the fire started somewhere in the back of the building. Firefighters say they got the call around four in the morning.

“Primarily the fire looks like it was on the floor level. So we're pulling up the floor, going underneath, pulling out pieces of wood, extinguishing all those,” Ebanks said.

Ebanks said no firefighters were hurt, but there's always that risk. “I'm sure they were contending with high heat, visibility problems. Challenges such as that.”

Investigators say it's too soon to know how this fire started. “Nothing appears to be suspicious, but until we get our lab results back and look at the totality of it, it'll be under investigation,” said Det. Amelia Hitchcock, with the Florida Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations.

Firefighters said they'll stay put throughout the day, making sure the fire doesn't start back up.