A fire that broke out at Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s New Orleans mansion on Wednesday evening is reportedly being investigated as possible arson.
22 firefighters had to respond to a massive fire that erupted in the couple’s home in the Garden District area. The New Orleans Fire Department was alerted of the fire when the home’s smoke alarm was activated at 6.20pm.
2 hours later, it was reportedly fully extinguished with no injuries on site.
At a similar time to when the fire department was alerted, police were alerted of a suspicious person nearby. The police now determine the suspicious person to be related to the incident.
A source tells Nola.com that the fire appears to have started in the kitchen. Firefighters apparently found books inside the oven and a petrol can is believed to be seen in the house.
“If [the firefighters] didn’t get there when they did, it could have been much worse. It’s a historic home,” says a spokesperson for the fire department.
The extent of the damage is still unclear.
The massive property was first built in 1927 as a Westminster Presbyterian church. Before it became a home in 2000, the property was used by a ballet company.
Now, the historic building is worth a reported $2.4 million and has been owned by Sugarcane Park LLC, since 2015 – a management company owned by Tina Knowles, Beyoncé’s mother.
This is not the first reported incident to have happened to the singer in recent years.
In March, Beyoncé lost more than $1 million worth of valuables after her storage unit had been raided.
Previously, her lockups were also raided by thieves who got away with designer dresses and handbags.