Arson ruled as cause of fire at Putnam Hotel in DeLand, officials say

DeLAND, Fla. – A fire that caused extensive damage to the Putnam Hotel in DeLand in April has been ruled an arson, according to city officials.

The flames started April 29 on the top floors of the hotel and spread into a blaze that took firefighters several hours to extinguish. The hotel on New York Avenue, which was built in 1880, was left with smoke and water damage on every floor.

The building has been vacant since 2011 and no one was injured in the fire.

Officials from the City of DeLand Fire Department said Monday that the State of Florida's Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations and the City of DeLand fire marshal investigated the incident and determined that the fire was intentionally set.

No criminal charges are expected to be filed at this time, according to a news release.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations at 1-877-NO-ARSON (1-877-662-7766) or call City of DeLand Fire Marshal Gill Stemmerman at 386-626-7042.