Southern Pines police are investigating a suspicious house fire that happened at 377 S. Mechanic Street.

The home sustained $30,000 damage in the blaze that started around 2 p.m. on April 15. No one was home at the time of the blaze.

“We handle all suspicious fires until we prove they are not suspicious,” said Lt. Rodney Hardy of the Southern Pines Police department.

Hardy said local fire investigators determined there was enough suspicious evidence to call in the State Bureau of Investigation arson investigators. An investigation and his arson dog came down to investigate.

Arson dogs are specially trained to sniff out accelerants used to set things on fire.

Hardy said investigators gathered evidence and sent it off to the SBI crime lab for further analysis.