While Meridian and Kuna fire crews arrived shortly after the fire began Wednesday night, firefighters were limited in what they could do, since the armed prowler was inside the home.
Crews kept the blaze from spreading, but the home is a total loss.
Meridian fire officials say in hostile situations like this one, firefighters defer to law enforcement on whether it is safe to enter the building.
"What makes this unique, or problematic, is that you have a fire scene that is also a violent crime scene," said Ken Wilborn, Meridian Fire Battalion Chief. "So, we're still applying that risk/benefit analysis. It's just a little more complicated."
Investigators are still working to figure out how and where the fire started in the home.
They did find evidence gasoline could have been a factor.
