Firefighters in Pearl River County responded to two separate fires Thursday morning.
The first call came in at 4:24 a.m. in reference to heavy smoke coming from the Salem Grocery Store on Highway 43 South, Pearl River County Fire Marshal Albert Lee said.
The Southeast, Carriere, Leetown and Picayune fire departments quickly responded to the scene, Lee said.
Upon firefighters’ arrival, flames could be seen emerging from the roof of the building, he said.
Despite the firefighters’ quick action, Lee said the building will likely be torn down due to the extent of the damage.
The storeowner said he closed up the night before at 7 and hadn’t yet opened the business when the fire began, Lee said.
While Lee and the state fire marshal were beginning their investigation into the cause of the convenience store fire, they were called to a house fire on Liberty Road.
At 9:28 a.m., a neighbor reported smoke coming from the back of a home in the 500 block of Liberty Road, Lee said.
Upon arrival, firefighters from Pine Grove and Carriere volunteer departments and the Picayune Fire Department extinguished flames coming from the back of the house, Lee said.
The home was under renovation at the time, he said, which means the plywood in the home was damaged.
The homeowner was not present at the time of the fire, he said.
The cause of both fires remains under investigation by Lee and the state fire marshal.