The Ohio Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating suspected arsons after three homes and two garages were destroyed in blazes along the same street in East Liverpool.

A dispatcher got a call just before 8:30 p.m. Sunday along the 600 block of Avondale Street in East Liverpool.

When firefighters arrived, they found two vacant houses burning on the street. Those flames quickly spread to another home and to two garages. 

“All the houses are so close together we couldn't even get in-between...so it was a matter of fighting the fires from the front of the house and getting it from the back of the house at the same time,” Antony Cum, the Chief of the East Liverpool Fire Department said.

No one was inside any of them when firefighters got to the scene. However, a neighbors told 21 News a man who typically lives in one of the homes was with her when the fire started. 

“The whole attic was damaged with fire and then the whole house was ruined in water. So I don't even know if anything will be salvage able,” neighbor Leslie Gleason said. 

Gleason also said another man was living above one of the garages and was told to get out by firefighters because the flames were moving quickly. 

“He said when he got up off the couch that all of the sudden sparks were flying … my electric was off for like an hour and a half because they had to shut it off,” Gleason said “I’m just glad everyone's okay and nobody got hurt.”

Fire departments from East Liverpool, Wellsville, and Calcutta worked for nearly five hours to put the fires out.

All three houses were declared a total loss. No injuries were reported.

Two hours prior to the fire on Avondale Street, the East Liverpool Fire Department was at another scene. 

Around 4 p.m. crews got to a garage fire on West Seventh Street just behind the Dollar General Store downtown. The garage belonged to a church but was not in use and no injuries were reported.  

Chief Cumo said they don’t know if the two fires are connected but the fire marshal is investigating that possibility.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-589-2728.