An empty housing duplex now stands at Lake Lansing and Abbott roads, the outside visibly charred from a fire that broke out during the early morning hours on Wednesday.

Side paneling from the house was strewn across the backyard as a pile of personal items such as clothes, videotapes and books lay submerged under scorched remnants. The smell of burnt wood still permeates the air.

By mid-afternoon, the man and woman who lived in the small duplex had already packed up what they could salvage and moved on, fire officials said.

Firefighters were called to the house at 184 W. Lake Lansing Road when a driver for Big Daddy Taxi saw the fire and called 911.

"It looks like the building is going to be a total loss," said Leo Allaire, public information officer for the East Lansing Fire Department.

The fire appears to have started in the bedroom of the duplex and quickly spread throughout the house, causing about $60,000 in damage, Allaire said. A burnt hole in the roof and broken windows show the fire's destructive path through the house.

After firefighters arrived at the scene, it took them about 15 minutes to contain the blaze, Allaire said.

"It might be suspicious," he said. "We won't have the final ruling until the investigation is complete."

Although arson isn't being ruled out, Allaire said it could have been started by someone leaving smoking material behind, or it could have just been accidental.

The actual cause will be determined in the next few days when the investigation is complete, Allaire said.

No one was home when the fire broke out, and there were only minor injuries to one firefighter. A pet lizard perished in the fire.

Wednesday's incident adds to the recent number of fires in the area. In the span of three weeks, three fires have broken out at the Carriage Hill East Apartments and Townhomes in Meridian Township, which firefighters believe to be suspicious.

The first fire occurred on Captain's Way Road on June 7, and the second broke out the weekend of June 21 at 6230 Cobbler Drive.

The most recent was on June 28, which caused about $300,000 in damages. A sign is now posted at the complex offering a $5,000 reward leading to the arrest or conviction of anyone involved.

Allaire said as of now the department doesn't know if there is any connection between Wednesday's fire and the fires at Carriage Hill East.