An early morning fire in Parsons is ruled an arson.

Saturday at around 7:51am, Parsons Police were notified about a possible fire and when officers arrived, they found the structure fully engulfed in flames. Parsons Fire arrived and began working on the blaze while police secured the area. The fire was put out and it was discovered that the house was abandoned and had been red-tagged by Parsons Code Enforcement.

The structure is owned by Robert Lemaster, who is currently serving time in prison. PFD requested the fire be investigated by a fire marshal due to the suspicious nature. The investigator ruled the incident an arson. The investigation has been turned over to the State Fire Marshall.