By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

CLEVELAND — Rowan County investigators are looking into a Friday fire at a home on Third Creek Church Road.

The fire occurred a few weeks after two other fires nearby — one in Cleveland and the other four miles away in Iredell County.

Investigators say the most recent fire is not connected to the previous ones.

No cause has been determined for any of the fires.

The Friday fire was reported about 3:15 p.m. at 3410 Third Creek Church Road. It started outside the house, according to authorities. Investigators found burn marks on the home’s vinyl siding and on a bush.

Three people inside the home at the time were alerted by a passer-by and used a garden hose to douse most of the flames.

The earlier fires both broke out Aug. 8, one at 640 Phifer Road, also in Cleveland, and the other at 193 Phifer Lane in Iredell County. Officials have questioned a person of interest in those fires, which investigators believe are connected, according to Fire Investigator Deborah Horne.

“It was close, but we don’t think it’s connected to the other two,” she said of the Third Creek Church Road fire.

Investigators from both the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office and Iredell County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the earlier fires.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.