Mount Vernon fire officials are investigating the cause of a fire that ripped through an empty house. Fire investigators are calling the blaze suspicious since no one was living in the home at 334 Garden Avenue. A neighbor who saw flames called the fire department, but by the time the fire was out, the house was just a shell. A Mount Vernon family purchased the home at the beginning of the year and was in the process of moving in. The homeowner, Hope Jones, says she and her family are devastated about the fire, but also relieved that it happened before everything was moved in and unpacked. While she waits for the fire department and insurance company to complete their investigations, she says she will rely on family and friends.