MOULTRIE – Last week, Moultrie firefighters responded to a two-structure blaze on Fourth Avenue, not far from where Second Street crosses it.

According to Moultrie Fire Chief Chad Kilgore, the fire started in an abandoned house and then spread to another abandoned house next door to it. Both of the houses were vacant at the time of the fire.

“The houses were so close together and there was so much fire in the one structure that it was inevitable that the house next door would also catch,” he said.

Kilgore said, after investigation, the Fire Marshall told him that it was possible that vagrants had built a fire to cook and it had gotten out of control. However, he said, there was no way to confirm because of the extent of the damage to the structure. 

“It had been pretty obvious that some homeless people were staying there,” Kilgore said and there was no electricity in the structures.