Officials still probing fire at DwyaneWade’s ex-home
The cause of a suspicious fire that gutted the former Dolton mansion of NBA star Dwyane Wade remains under investigation, officials said Friday.
The fiery blaze, which was first reported as an explosion, started around 1:15 p.m. Monday and quickly engulfed the sixbedroom home Wade and his ex-wife once owned in the 1600 block of 158th Street.
Firefighters reported smelling an accelerant while battling the blaze and Police Chief Robert Collins said amanwhowas detained after being seen running from the burning building also smelled of gasoline, raising suspicions of arson.
The man who was detained remained in police custody for at least 24 hours, but eventually had to be released for lack of evidence, the chief said.
“Thesubject thatwehad is still our person of interest,” Collins said in an email Thursday, after the man was let go. “We don’t believe that the property was chosen randomly.”
No one was home when the fire started and no injuries were reported, but the secluded mansion had been occupied, officials said.
It remains unclear who had been living in the home, but property records showSouthHolland-based Safire-7, LLC bought the property for $300,000 in 2016. Calls to the company’s three listed managers were not returned.