| | MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- The fire that destroyed most of the
home of retired NASCAR driver Ernie Irvan does not appear to have
been intentionally set, the Rowan County fire marshal said.
Irvan's home on a 100-acre estate near Lake Norman caught fire
Saturday as he was on a Bahamas vacation. The home, which is valued
at more than $1 million, was heavily damaged and many of his
family's personal items were destroyed. No one was injured.
The fire's origin has been narrowed to the west side of the
home, said fire marshal Randall Faggart. The fire probably was
sparked by an electrical problem or something else accidental,
Faggart said.
"At this point, we've basically ruled out almost all of the
criminal aspects" of the case, he said.
An electrical expert from Irvan's insurance company will visit
the home to try to help finalize the fire's cause, according to
Faggart.
The roof of the home burned off and its remnants fell into the
house. The garage, containing vintage cars, was destroyed. The
trophy room suffered heavy damage and many trophies were
unsalvageable.
"A lot of those trophies are basically disfigured in some way
... but some that are metal are okay," Faggart said. "They're
real dirty. They have to be cleaned up."
Irvan, a Daytona 500 champion, retired last September after 13
years on the Winston Cup circuit when doctors told him a third head
injury could take away from his quality of life.
He crashed during a practice session for a Busch Series race at
Michigan Speedway on Aug. 20, five years to the day after a
near-fatal wreck on the same oval. But he recovered, and 14 months
later resumed racing. | |
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