Fire damages two Cairo, Ill., homes

CAIRO, Ill. -- Firefighters from six departments battled blazes at two Cairo homes for several hours Thursday afternoon.

There were no reports of injuries, but the damage is extensive.

A dispatcher from the Cairo Police Department said firefighters were called to the scene, at 511 and 513 21st St., just before 3 p.m. The fire reportedly began at one home, and high winds spread the flames to the nearby property.

The dispatcher was unaware if the homes were occupied at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire is unknown, but investigators will be at the scene this morning. The homes are a total loss, the dispatcher said.

A Sunday fire destroyed three buildings in the 2000 block of Washington Street. The Alexander County Sheriff's Department called the blaze suspicious.