Firefighters from the Mexico Public Safety Department quickly knocked down a blaze that erupted Wednesday evening in a vacant house in the 500 block of Martin Luther King Drive. The structure suffered significant damage at the front from flames, while smoke and heat caused less severe harm to the rear.

When crews arrived at the scene shortly after 8:30 p.m. they found flames bursting from two rooms at the front of the house. Although brush and utility lines made access difficult, they pounced on the blaze, preventing it from spreading any further.

“Vacant properties are a headache,” said MPSD Major Bryce Mesko. “But the guys worked hard, as always.”

Two engines responded and firefighters remained on the scene for two and a half hours.

Although the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Mesko says there is evidence that the property had been used by more than one person. Responders found indications of people drinking and smoking. In addition, fireworks had apparently been ignited in and around the structure.

“That’s what we’re following up on now,” he added.

It’s the second vacant house fire MPSD has extinguished in the last three weeks. On September 26, they responded to a blaze that consumed a food truck and part of an empty home on Wade Street. In that instance, a neighboring house suffered some damage and an overhead electric light fell to the ground.

“Any structure fire comes with challenges,” Mesko pointed out. The department typically responds to 15 or 20 such incidents in a year.

There were no injuries reported in Wednesday’s fire.