SOUTH FORT MYERS, Fla. A fire that injured three people and ravaged a home Sunday on Ranchette Road has been ruled accidental, the South Trail Fire & Rescue District said.
An estimated $500,000 in damage to the home took place, according to the district. The blaze began in the attic and was electrical in nature.
Only a small portion of the house, which stood on the 14000 block of Ranchette Road, remains intact. The rest is just charred framing.
Two firefighters and one other person sustained non life-threatening injuries, district assistant chief Ben Bengston said. The other person was hospitalized but has since been released, according to the family that lives in the house.
He was trying to rescue the family’s pets when he was hurt, the family said. He saved a kitten, but a puppy died in the fire.
The family’s church and the American Red Cross are assisting.
The district, the state fire marshal’s office and the Lee County Arson Task Force jointly conducted the investigation.