The Covington Fire Department hasn’t had to fight many house fires lately, but two of the most recent fires occurred in supposedly vacant buildings.

The most recent structure fire took place around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday near Trailblazer Park – the covered pavilion basketball court off Clark Street – when a shed next to a vacant house at 3110 W. Usher St. burned down, according to Assistant Fire Marshal Joe Doss.

The shed had nothing in it, and the house that accompanies it is owned by the Newton County chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

“It happened right after a bad evening thunderstorm, and there was nothing there and nobody to interview,” said Doss. “We just ruled the cause as undetermined.”

According to Doss, the other most recent structure fire was back on April 28, and that fire is still being investigated.
The Covington Fire Department received a call at 11:40 p.m. at 3112 Stone Mountain St. about a structure fire. The house was also supposed to be vacant, according to the owner, but someone had been living in the home unbeknownst to the owner.

Doss said the investigation was being handled by Fire Marshal Tony Smith, who was out of town on vacation this week.