A suspicious fire which destroyed a villa is under investigation in The Villages.
The fire broke out at about 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Rhett Villas in the Village of Linden.
Multiple units from The Villages Public Safety Department rushed to the scene of the blaze at 1953 Rhett Road. A man in the home was critically injured and transported to UF Shands Hospital in Gainesville. His name was not released by officials.
The investigation has been turned over to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Neighbors indicated “four burners” had been fired up in the kitchen at the time the blaze erupted.
The villa had been purchased this past April for $247,000 by Kevin Cordy. He is the third owner since it became available for occupancy in 2019.