NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Northwest Miami-Dade man is sharing his story after his home of 30 years sustained extensive damage as part of a string of house fires that left one person dead and are reportedly being investigated as arson.
7News spoke to Phil Andre on Sunday as he showed parts of his property, near Northwest First Avenue, that were left charred by the blaze.
“I cannot believe that’s the reality that I’m living,” he said. “Man, this is tough. It’s tough.”
Andre believes the body of the person behind the fires was found nearby.
“I said, ‘He got to be the guy, he got to be the guy,'” he said. “There were rumors that there was a guy that set two fires down there, and the police were after him.”
Police said Andre’s home went up in flames Saturday evening.
The flames consumed an outside storage area and left his Lexus sedan scorched. Inside the residence, the fire spread to his bedroom and ripped through his two guest rooms, melting everything in its path.
Officers said a body was found at the scene of a residential fire that was called in about an hour after the one at Andre’s home.
“[Officers] say, ‘Your house is a crime scene now. You can’t go in because there’s a dead man right there in your house,” said Andre.
“Not only did he start the fire, he died here,” said Andre’s daughter, Marnisha Andre. “It just changed everything. It’s scary.”
Marnisha said she came home from college earlier than expected after she got the call from her father about what happened.
Her father said he’s certain the blaze was intentional and was told the man responsible is possibly connected to a string of house fires in North Miami.
“After you lost all of these things and, you know, that’s a guy that randomly set fires, then you are the unlucky one,” he said. “That really makes you angry.”
“It’s just a total loss, a total disaster,” said Andre as he surveyed the exterior damage. “Everything. My tools, my refrigerator, you got everything right there.”
As Andre begins to process his loss and police investigate, he said rebuilding is his first priority.
“I understand people say you can replace material stuff, but you cannot replace a human being, but this, even though it’s not a human being, is very, very dear to me,” he said.
Andre returned to his home of nearly 30 years on Monday morning to see if he and his family can begin the cleanup process.
As he walked around the property he told 7News, “I have memories and I said to myself, ‘This is the place that I love the most. This is what I call home and now look at it.'”
Marnisha said it’s the only house she’s ever lived in.
“It’s taking a toll, you know, it’s hard to deal with,” she said. “We lost a lot of things. My parents, they’re older, so I’m just worried. Praise God that’s like the most important thing, that everybody is OK. The possessions can be replaced, but the hurt can’t. The memory can’t be replaced, all of that stuff cannot be replaced.”
Miami-Dade Police have not released the identity of the man found dead and have not confirmed whether or not he is the arsonist, as they continue to work with North Miami Police in their investigation.
The Andre family told 7News they did not have insurance for the home and are getting help from their church community and the Red Cross.
If you would like to make a donation to help the Andre family rebuild, click here.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.