Fire destroyed a mansion in Michigan owned by legendary singer Aretha Franklin, making it difficult for investigators to determine the cause of blaze, officials said.
The home is in an exclusive neighborhood in Bloomfield Township.
The monster blaze burst through the roof and swept through the “Queen of Soul’s” white one-story 10,000-square- foot home.
By the time the fire was extinguished two hours later, the walls and the floor collapsed.
“The house was totally destroyed,” said Deputy Fire Chief Robert Schwartz.
Nobody was at the Oakland County home at the time, officials said.
According to one of Franklin’s building contractors, the singer hasn’t lived in the house for two years and used it to store boxes and furniture.
Franklin was in Texas yesterday planning to put on a show this weekend during a series of concerts, Fannie Tyler, Franklin’s personal assistant, told the Detroit Free Press.
The singer, who has a fear of flying, was driven to Dallas early in the week and was scheduled to play Houston this weekend, the newspaper added.With Post Wire Services