Early-Morning Fires in Cedar Grove and Highland Areas

An early-morning house fire in the Cedar Grove neighborhood has left one man homeless.

Firefighters were called out to a house in the 700 block of E. 66th St. around 1:30 this morning. They found a single-story home that was fully-involved, with flames coming from the doors and windows. It took seven units more than 15 minutes to extinguish the blaze. The house was lost.

Fire investigators say the blaze originated on the back porch. The homeowner told firefighters he'd cooked near the porch the evening before and that utilities hadn't been connected. No one was injured in the blaze, but one firefighter was treated at the scene for symptoms of heat exhaustion.

Another fire was reported just after 5AM this morning. That one was at the OK Cleaners on Kings Highway, just across the street from Centenary College. When fire crews arrived, they found smoke coming from the top of the building and water coming from the side door. A sprinkler system extinguished smoldering clothes inside the business. No injuries were reported. Investigators are trying to figure out what caused the fire.