The cause of a fire earlier this month at a boarded-up Christina St. S home in Sarnia has been classified as incendiary.
Fire Prevention Officer Roel Bus says the blaze broke out in the single storey structure around 4pm January 2.
"The fire started in a place where fire is normally not," says Bus. "It appears that a fire was lit for people to stay warm. It looked to be in the kitchen area."
Bus says frigid cold temperatures and wind were a factor in both fighting the fire and the ensuing investigation.
He says heavy equipment was needed to remove the roof of the small wood frame home so investigators could safely enter.
At the time of the fire, Chief John Kingyens said there had been reports of squatters going into the home that was full of stored household items.
Sarnia police continue to investigate the fire as well as a suspicious fire that destroyed a motorhome and damaged an adjacent house at Exmouth St. and Indian Rd. Tuesday morning.