A house under renovation on Gwynn’s Island was completely destroyed by fire on Tuesday morning.

The call came in at around 10:30 a.m., said Mathews Fire Chief Ronnie Lewis, and when firefighters arrived on the scene, flames were coming out of the second-floor windows. They knocked down the fire from the outside before entering the building, he said. Four engines, a tanker, a rescue truck, and a medic unit responded to the scene.

The house had been stripped down to the bare studs and had recently had new plumbing and electrical installed, said Lewis. He said the owners were waiting for the building official to inspect and approve the work before they began to install drywall and continue with the renovations. Workers were using electricity from a drop from a meter base installed by Dominion for temporary use, he said.

Lewis said he suspects the fire was electrical in origin, and no foul play is expected. He said an insurance investigation will be conducted next.
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