Silverhill Fire Could Be Arson

Exploding ammo inside a burning house on County Road 55 in Silverhill forced first responders to run for cover Thursday morning. Heavy smoke could be seen for miles and blocked out the early morning sun. Silverhill crews had to call for back-up. The fire was intense and powerful.

"It got so hot it melted my shield," says Loxley firefighter Russell Benefield. "It was a tough one, my worse so far. Just imagine the feeling of opening a hot grill right in your face, it gets about that hot. Just sitting in an oven is what it feels like."

An investigator from the state fire marshal's office would not comment about what happened, but two police officers working the scene tell News 5 the fire is arson.

Firefighters battled the blaze for more than five hours but were unable to save the structure. Nobody was hurt.