City officials are looking into what caused an unoccupied home to burn Friday morning.
The property at 220 W. Virgil Street sustained serious damage, but was not destroyed. A passerby asked a neighbor to call 911 at 6:48 a.m., Whiteville Fire Marshal Hal Lowder said.
“The caller was on a morning walk and saw smoke,” Lowder said. “She wasn’t carrying her phone.”
No one lives in the home, Lowder said. It is not on the list of properties set for demolition as part of continuing hurricane recovery efforts.
The fire was confined to the interior of the dwelling. Lowder credited the quick response of Whiteville firefighters with preventing the damage from being any worse. Whiteville firefighters were assisted by Whiteville Police and Whiteville Rescue Unit.
The fire is considered suspicious and is under investigation, Lowder said.
