Arson suspected in Thanksgiving Day house fire in Linda

A suspicious fire ripped through a Linda home on Thanksgiving Day, causing thousands of dollars in damages. Nobody was injured.

Arson is suspected, according to the Yuba County Sheriff's Department.

"It destroyed a good portion of the house," Sgt. Joe Million said Friday.

The home at 1796 Fernwood Drive was called a total loss, with damages estimated at $75,000, the Sheriff's Department said.

Resident Gee Vang and his family were in Sacramento for the Thanksgiving holiday, Million said. Neighbors reported flames just before 10:30 a.m.

"It appeared to have started on or near the stove in the kitchen," Linda Fire Chief Rich Webb said.

Nobody was seen going in or out of the house prior to the blaze, but detectives believe somebody forced their way into the home beforehand, Million said.

It is unclear if anything was stolen from the home prior to the fire or if the family was targeted.

"It's still early in the investigation," Million said. "We're looking at all possibilities."

About 12 Linda firefighters responded to the blaze. Mop-up efforts took about 90 minutes, Webb said.

It was not known if the home owner was carrying fire insurance.

Linda firefighters are handling the arson investigation while sheriff's deputies conduct a criminal inquiry.

Investigators ask anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the neighborhood on Thursday to come forward.

Anyone with information can call the Sheriff's Department at 749-7777 or the Linda Fire Department at 743-1553.

CONTACT Rob Parsons at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4785. Find him on Facebook at /ADcrimebeat or on Twitter at @ADcrimebeat.