In the early morning hours of June 25, Poplarville firefighters responded to a structure fire at 818 Julia St. The flames and heat also damaged nearby structures, said Poplarville Fire Chief Jonathan Head.
Firefighters received the call at 3:02 a.m. and were on scene by 3:05 a.m., Head said.
First responders arrived on scene to find the structure engulfed in flames, the fire chief said. The structure’s single occupant, who was a tenant, was outside, safe and unharmed, said Head.
However, a downed energized power line posed safety problems for firefighters and hindered their efforts to fight the fire, Head said. They focused their efforts on keeping the surrounding area and buildings cool, he said.
Once a crew from Mississippi Power turned off power to the line, firefighters were able to “attack” the burning structure and extinguish the fire safely, Head said.
At least two other nearby structures received radiant heat damage, Head added.
After speaking with the occupant and an investigation was conducted, the fire has been ruled accidental, Head said.
“It was learned that the occupant has been using a small fire on the north side of the house as a cooking fire,” Head said. “After he prepared his meal, he put out the fire and went to sleep.”
The physical evidence and statements indicate that the fire started on the north side of the structure and spread from there, Head said.
The structure was in poor condition, Head said. The materials, age and condition of the structure were contributing factors as to why the structure burned so quickly, Head said.