Arson case cold, home demolished
BY JOE CULPEPPER Gulf Breeze News Joe@gulfbreezenews.com

Pam Randall/ Gulf Breeze News A demolition crew finishes removing the remains of a home owned by Cheryl McCaffry that burned last October. The house became an eyesore as authorities continued to investigate the arson case.

A fire that destroyed a home in the Whisper Bay subdivision last October has been ruled an act of arson, but an investigation of the case has grown cold.

A home at 2809 Sandy Ridge Drive belonging to Cheryl McCaffry went up in flames during the early morning hours of Oct. 11, 2007. Units from the Midway Fire District, Gulf Breeze Fire and Rescue and Pensacola Beach Fire Department responded but could not save the house or two vehicles parked in the driveway.

The charred remains of the home finally were cleared away in late April.

"We determined that it was arson," Lt. Kevin Fiedor of the State Fire Marshal's Office said last week. "We did several interviews, and it took us a while to track down the person the homeowner believed to be the suspect. We did some interviews, which didn't produce anything where we were able to take it to the State Attorney's Office.

"The case is still active, but we have no more leads. We are at a stopping point until we get more information."

Fiedor said someone set fire to the interior of a vehicle near the house, and flames spread to the structure. Neighbors heard several loud explosions, but investigators couldn't pinpoint the cause.

McCaffry, who had lived in the residence for 11 years, and a pet were rescued from the backyard of the home. The State Fire Marshal's Office estimated the fire caused $250,000 in damages.

"The fire was intentionally set in the interior of the vehicle," Fiedor said. "When that vehicle caught, nobody saw the fire for quite a while. When they did (see it), the fire had already spread to the residence and was fully involved when authorities arrived."

Fiedor would not discuss any other specific details of the fire, fearing it would compromise the investigation.