Separate fires torch 2 homes in 24 hours in Lexington County subdivision

Investigators are trying to determine what caused two fires that destroyed two homes in the same Lexington County subdivision just hours apart.

Firefighters responded just after 11:15 p.m. Tuesday to a two-story home on the 100 block of Chisolm Circle, according to the County of Lexington. Crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the home but were able to get the fire under control.

No injuries were reported, but two people were displaced, according to the county. The home is a total loss, the Lexington County Fire Service said in an Instagram post Wednesday morning.

The fire happened less than 24 hours after a nighttime blaze that destroyed a home nearby on the 200 block of Wallace Circle.

That fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to the county’s Twitter page. No injuries were reported, but that home also is a total loss.

The exact cause of each blaze has not been determined, but County of Lexington spokesman Harrison Cahill said a preliminary investigation shows that improperly discarded smoking materials — particularly cigarette butts — were possibly a factor.

Tuesday’s early-morning and late-night fires came on the heels of three other structure fires that Lexington County crews have responded to since Saturday.

“At this point, all of these incidents are isolated,” Cahill said. “But again, we are continuing investigations. Investigations are fluid, things can change. But right now all of them are being treated as isolated fires.”