PEPPERELL -- The state fire marshal's office has joined the investigation into a fire Wednesday night that destroyed a Pepperell home that made headlines for its mold contamination, but a local fire official said the blaze does not appear suspicious.

"It doesn't look intentional," Pepperell Fire Chief Paul Bozicas said yesterday.

It appears someone was using a blow torch to do some work on pipes inside the vacant house, and wood may have been ignited, Bozicas said. Whether the work was legal and with permits is unclear.

Bozicas said it's standard procedure to ask the fire marshal's office to investigate. The home was not inhabited and had no electricity or gas that might have sparked the fire.

Nancy Davis and her husband, Rick, moved from the house at 20 Shawnee Road in 2003 because the mold infestation made them sick. They took a huge loss on the house, for which they paid $227,900, when they let the bank have it back for $1.

The house, which is a total loss due to the fire, is currently owned by Inner