By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
A vacant home on Milford Hills Road burned early Friday, sending a cloud of thick, black smoke over the western section of the city.
Investigators are calling the fire suspicious.
Neighbors said the two-story single-family house at 305 Milford Hills Road had been vacant for at least five years.
Salisbury firefighters and investigators remained on the scene late Friday checking through debris to determine the cause and make sure there was no one in the house.
Firefighters responded to the call at 8:42 a.m. Friday.
Battalion Chief Chris Kepley said a couple of off-duty firefighters spotted the smoke, turned in the alarm, and went to the scene, confirming the house was fully involved in flames.
Firefighters from all four city stations responded.
Kepley said crews immediately went into a defensive position. “It was too involved for our people to go in there.”
Firefighters set up on either side of the house to direct water on the blaze and used a truck with an aerial nozzle to drown flames from above.
Investigators were on the scene Friday afternoon and had a trackhoe brought in to dig through the wreckage.
Kepley said residents of the area had suggested there might have been homeless people using the house, but there was no evidence early on.
Firemen arriving early looked through the windows of the house, which was furnished. They did not see anyone.
Neighbors said a house less than a block away had been frequented by homeless people in past years. That house was demolished.
William Gopsill, who lives on the adjacent block of Fairmont, said he had never seen anyone at the house or seen a light on during the past five years.
He added there is an issue with homeless in the area, but said he never saw anyone around the house.
According to county property records, the house is owned by W. Clarke Edwards of Versailles, Ky. The house was built around 1910.
Kepley said a search of the site determined no one was in the house.
Investigators determined the fire started on the back porch.
Salisbury police are assisting with the investigation.
Duke Energy secured the power from a utility pole next to the house, but the interior of the house had no working electrical service according to fire officials.
Neighboring fire departments assisted the city, staging at the city stations. Those included: Faith, Spencer, Cleveland, South Salisbury and Granite Quarry. Rowan Rescue Squad responded to the scene.