Fire destroys vacant St. Petersburg home

ST. PETERSBURG — A homeless man was found camping inside a St. Petersburg house that was destroyed by fired Tuesday morning.

The house at 1021 10th Ave. S would have to be demolished, St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue District Chief Mike Zamparelli said. The fire burned holes in the walls and floors from the first floor to the attic. "I believe the house is a total loss," he said.

Firefighters stayed clear of the second floor as they watered down hot spots Tuesday, just in case the floor collapsed.

The blaze was reported by several neighbors around 3 a.m.

Firefighters found the homeless man, who wasn't injured, in the house, Zamparelli said. No one else was living in the house, which contained no furniture or personal belongings.

The fire was determined to be an accident, St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue said. The 1,866-square-foot house had a market value of about $28,685.