The cause of a blaze that destroyed a 5,460-square-foot home valued at $4 million in the exclusive Desert Mountain gated community in north Scottsdale appears to be electrical-related, fire investigators said Wednesday.
The fire was reported by a neighbor at 7:53 p.m. Tuesday. It destroyed the single-story home under construction at 11384 E. Apache Vistas Drive, and appeared to start in the attic area, according to Tiffani Nichols, spokeswoman for the Scottsdale Fire Department.
Foul play is not suspected at this time, according to the Scottsdale Fire Department.
Nichols said Wednesday that 33 firefighters were on the scene for more than 10 hours, and still were on the scene dousing hot spots Wednesday morning.
Moments after the first engine arrived on the scene at 8:04 p.m., firefighters had to exit the structure’s interior and battle the blaze from outside because the roof collapsed, Nichols said.
Firefighters then went on the defensive to prevent the flames from spreading to other nearby homes, Nichols said.
The home had a sprinkler system, but the attic area was above it, according to the fire department.
Crews from the Rural/ Metro and Phoenix fire departments also responded to the blaze.
No one was injured during the blaze, Nichols said.
The home, which was 95 percent complete in the upscale neighborhood, was unoccupied, but some furniture was inside, Nichols said.
The homeowner’s name was not available, but they are believed to live outside of the United States, Nichols said.
A representative of the Desert Mountain Owners’ Association would not comment on Wednesday and would not permit media on the community’s premises.
