Fire razes house, damages a second in Van Buren

Fire destroyed one house late Thursday and heavily damaged another next door, according to the Van Buren Fire Department. No one was injured, the department said.

Fire Marshal Stanley Clark said the house at 1907 N. 28th St. was a total loss, and the house at 1909 N. 28th St. lost most of its roof and a couple of rooms. Smoke and water damage was reported throughout the second house.

The Fire Department was alerted to the blaze about 10:45 p.m. Thursday. As firetrucks and crews from all four Van Buren fire stations rushed to the blaze, Clark said, firefighters were informed of the second fire.

The source and cause of the initial blaze was under investigation Friday, Clark said.

The structure at 1907 N. 28th St. was an unoccupied rental house undergoing repairs, Clark said. The neighboring house was occupied by one person who was able to safely escape.

The fires were discovered when a tire on a vehicle in the carport at the first house heated up during the blaze and exploded, waking neighbors, Clark said.

When firefighters arrived, Clark said, they found the house at 1907 N. 28th St. in flames so they concentrated their initial efforts on saving the house at 1909 N. 28th St. Then, they turned their attention back to the first house.

No fire equipment was damaged in fighting the blaze, and none of the 15 firefighters who worked to extinguish the fire were injured, Clark said.