Investigators probing a fire that destroyed a Canton house in December are calling it "suspicious."

Flames swept through the two-story colonial house and an attached garage about 11:45 p.m. Dec. 19 on Ryegate, near Morton Taylor and Warren roads.

"It's a suspicious fire and it's still under investigation with our detectives and our arson investigators," Deputy Director of Fire Christopher Stoecklein said.

He confirmed the house has been turned over to the family's insurance company for its own investigation.

Fire officials hadn't yet made a formal ruling on the blaze and were continuing their work. It wasn't immediately known how long the investigation might take.

Stoecklein said it appears the fire started on the first floor of the home, which was unoccupied at the time. A mother and her children had gone to the store.

Stoecklein said the home sustained widespread damage and was "a total loss."

The fire also caused minor damages to two adjacent homes.

Firefighters from all three Canton fire stations battled the blaze in single-digit temperatures and finally cleared the scene about five hours after the fire was reported. Frigid weather conditions caused ice to build up on the street and sidewalk, but firefighters had no difficulty accessing water from fire hydrants.

Investigators are calling this fire on Ryegate "suspicious."