John and Julie Barnickel had their eye on the duplex on Seagull Drive in Riviera Beach for about a year.

When it went on sale, they moved quickly. The young couple settled on the house the day before Thanksgiving and moved in last weekend.

Yesterday, they stood on the street in front of their new home, watching it burn.

"I'm just hoping that something inside is usable," John Barnickel said.

Division Chief Michael Cox, a spokesman for the county Fire Department, said the fire was accidental and caused by improper disposal of ashes from the fireplace. It's a sad twist of fate for the family, who...