A fire on the south side of Mt. Vernon that is suspected to be set destroyed a vacant home before heavily damaged a second home and melting the front siding on a home across the street.
Mt. Vernon Fire Chief Kevin Sargent says the home destroyed at 1013 Wescott was fully engulfed in flames upon arrival. It spread to a car parked between it and a neighbor home, destroying it, before moving to the home next door. Like the first home, it was in an estate following a recent death. However, Sargent says it still had a lot of items of sentimental value that were still inside.
The intense heat also damaged two cars parked in the street as well as the siding on the front of the home across the street. The owner of that home was working on a car in the garage and was unaware of the fire until being asked to leave for their safety by the fire department.
The fire was originally discovered by Jefferson Fire Protection District Firemen across the street when a passerby came to the door to tell them it appeared the house across the street was on fire. Thick black smoke was rolling from the home at the time.
Jefferson Fire provided mutual aid while Woodlawn Firemen stood by at the Mt. Vernon station in the event of another fire.
The fire alarm came in at 4:17 Tuesday afternoon with firemen on the scene until 6:45 Tuesday night.
