SALISBURY — The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a suspicious fire that began Sunday afternoon at a home in China Grove.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said that a deputy was called to the home, located at the 600 block of Brown Road, after a fire began on the back staircase.

Fire marshals advised the deputy that the fire could have been started by the sun being magnified by clear potting containers, causing the structure to heat up. However, the homeowner noted that there were paper towels found on the staircase that should not have been there. The sheriff’s office is investigating the fire as suspicious because of the presence of the paper towels.

The spokesperson noted that the the cause of the fire has not been determined at this time and no suspects have been identified.