A fire that claimed a life and destroyed a home on Glenwood Avenue in West Hempstead did not start by accident, investigators say. It appears, according to investigators, that the fire was ignited and the only one in the house at the time was 44-year-old David Bhola, who was found dead in the basement of the home.

On Oct. 3, at 2:50 p.m., West Hempstead firefighters responded to a house fire on Glenwood Avenue. According to police, the house was totally destroyed and a man was found dead in the basement, where the fire was extinguished. The man was later identified as Bhola, who had a wife and three children and lived in the house for at least the past five years.

According to Det. Lt. Dennis Farrell of the Nassau County Homicide Squad, the gas meter was tampered with, allowing for the free flow of natural gas into the basement area and accelerant was fount in multiple areas of the home. "We find nothing to suggest that Mr. Bhola was assaulted or restrained, nothing of that nature," said Farrell. "It would appear that Mr. Bhola himself set the fire. Whether or not he intended to cause his death is something that we're still trying to determine, but it's something we may never be able to fully resolve. There was no indication that anybody but him was in the home and had anything to do with this arson."

According to the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office, the fire originated in the basement.

Bhola, his father and his brothers own an auto repair shop on Archer Avenue in Jamaica.

- Joe Rizza