Community reacts to Bristol house fires

BRISTOL, Ind. -- The small city of Bristol is still recovering Tuesday following a fire that burnt two historic homes to the ground.

Firefighters responded to the home in the 100 block of East Vistula Street to find it ablaze just after 2 p.m. Monday.

During the course of fighting the fire, it spread to the home next door, leading to the destruction of both buildings.

The owner of the home where the fire began, Lauren Howard, says she wasn’t at the house when the fire began. She believes the fire is arson, and claims the fire is part of a conspiracy against her.

The investigation is now being handled by the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office.

No cause of the fire has been released, although Howard says fire officials informed her that it began in the front of her home.

We’ll share more updates on-air and online as we receive them.