By ROBIN FITZGERALD
Biloxi Sun Herald
Officials in Gulfport and Biloxi report an increase in fires since Hurricane Katrina, including electrical fires in wood-frame homes and a winter phenomenon of fires in unoccupied housing.
Recent fires in both cities have damaged or destroyed property left standing by the hurricane. None of the fires involved injuries.
A type of fire commonly associated with transients seeking shelter and homemade heat in cooler weather occurred Tuesday in Biloxi, said Deputy Fire Chief Kirk Noffsinger. Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blaze that spread across several apartments behind the beachfront Breaker’s Inn.
“The only person living on the property is a maintenance man who said the apartments had no power and no one was supposed to be living there,” said Noffsinger. “There’s a lot of unoccupied housing around and people are finding their way into them and setting up homes.”
Gulfport firefighters have responded to five major fires since Monday. Most appeared accidental, said Fire Chief Pat Sullivan. However, house fires at 17473 Yazoo St. and at 2111 31st St. appear suspicious and remain under investigation, Sullivan said.
A house fire at 2660 Roberts Ave. also damaged a pickup truck and a FEMA trailer parked nearby. Another fire damaged property at 602 5th St.
A fire Tuesday at a car dealership at 1701 Pass Road destroyed one car and damaged three others. Sullivan said the fire began when a passenger lit a cigarette in a car where gasoline was stored in a container.