The cause of the fire that destroyed an Albert Lea home earlier this month has been determined to be arson.

The cause of the Dec. 8 fire at 601 E. Fifth St. was announced Thursday in an Albert Lea Fire Department press release.

The department was assisted by the State Fire Marshal’s Office in the investigation.

“If anyone has information on the fire or witnessed anything that evening, please contact Albert Lea Fire Rescue at 507-377-4340,” the Fire Department said in the release.

Damage to the home and property was estimated at $100,000.

Online property records list the homeowners as Hector and Emma Guerrero.

First responders reported seeing smoke and fire from the home’s southeast sides after arriving at 8 p.m. Dec. 8, according to the release.

Entry was difficult because the fire burned through a portion of the first and second floors, according to the release, and there was no one home or inside the structure at the time of the blaze.

Albert Lea fire crews were on scene for about six hours extinguishing the fire.