The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has joined the Polk County Sheriffs Office in investigating the cause of a fire at Green River Farms Tuesday.
The home, owned by Roger and Jennifer Smith, was under construction and nearly complete.
Det. Tracy Aldridge with the Polk County Sheriffs Office says his office asked the SBIs fire investigator division to help due to the fact that there would be no insurance investigation. The house was self-insured, Aldridge said. Normally, a cause will be determined by insurance investigators for a settlement.
A fire broke out at the Smith home, located at 1645 John Watson Road in the Green Creek Township. Responders got the call at 3:20 a.m. Tuesday and the home was fully engulfed upon arrival. The Smiths were staying in an apartment above their barn on the property and Roger Smith noticed the fire when waking up in the middle of the night.
The construction was for a 3-story, 6,500 square foot total house that included three bedrooms and 4.5 baths, a 3-opening attached garage, four fireplaces and a 600 square foot deck, according to the building permit obtained from the Polk County Building Inspections Department.
The building permit was obtained in September, 2007 and was to expire next month. The construction cost estimated by the county was for $598,740, which was valued by the county based on the International Code Council.
The actual construction cost was likely much higher.