Mt. Vernon Fire Chief Kevin Sargent believes blowing embers are responsible for spreading one house fire to two others.
The first fire involved a vacant home at 1501 South 12th. When firemen arrived around three am, it was fully involved. Sargent believes the fire was accidentally set by a squatter who had started a fire in a burn barrell inside the home to stay warm.
Sargent says the strong winds carried embers across the street which set tar paper on the roof of a home across the street on fire. The Corey Mitchell family had left the home with others in the area due to the fire and smoke. The entire home received smoke damage. The family was being assisted by the Red Cross.
Firemen were called back at 9:40 Tuesday morning when a fire next door to the first home that burned had caught fire. Sargent believe some embers landed on the roof and smoldered until catching fire. The home received extensive damage. Sargent reported it was vacant with no power or gas.
