NASHVILLE, Tenn. – An early morning house fire that broke out in a neighborhood near downtown Nashville has been ruled suspicious.
The incident happened around 3:15 a.m. Tuesday, at a home off Lancaster Avenue in Hillsboro Village.
When firefighters got to the scene, smoke and heavy flames could be seen coming from the roof. The fire seems to have originated from a mattress on the second floor.
Crews were able to quickly put out the flames, but the blaze caused significant damage to the second floor.
Officials with the Nashville Fire Department said no one was home at the time and its residents had moved out a short time ago, which makes the fire seem suspicious.
"Normally when you have a house like this that's vacant, that does throw up some red flags, but again it's all under investigation," said District Chief Lester Kelton.
The Nashville Electric Service has confirmed there was no power running to the home at the time of the fire.
One firefighter was taken to an area hospital due to heat-related issues.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
