Firefighters battle burning houses

Published 10:32 pm Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Fires: Suffolk firefighters spent most of their weekend battling fires on St. James Avenue, above, and Roosevelt Drive, below. Nobody was seriously injured in either blaze.

Suffolk firefighters were busy this weekend battling two house fires in the downtown area.

The first blaze, in the 400 block of Roosevelt Drive, was reported just before 5 p.m. Saturday by a teenager who said an upstairs room was on fire.

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Firefighters arriving on scene found heavy fire. It took about 35 minutes to bring the fire under control, city spokeswoman Debbie George said.

No injuries were reported, but five people were displaced. They were assisted by the Suffolk chapter of the American Red Cross. The cause is under investigation.

A second fire was reported Sunday morning just before 7 a.m. Smoke and flames were coming from a two-story residence in the 100 block of St. James Avenue.

Firefighters arriving on scene found the blaze had spread from the first floor up to the second floor and attic. They battled the flames for about 30 minutes before bringing them under control.

The home’s only occupant was checked at the scene for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire was accidental.