Fire destroys two vacant homes in Youngstown

YOUNGSTOWN — Fire erupted at a vacant house at 1650 Stewart Ave. on the East Side early on New Year’s Day. Firefighters found the structure open and flames contained to the first floor and porch at 4 a.m. Damage was set at $4,000, nearly a total loss. The cause is under investigation.

On New Year’s Eve, firefighters sent to a vacant house at 52 W. Dewey Ave. on the South Side at 8 p.m. found the first floor fully engulfed in flames and allowed the structure to burn down. The front and side doors and some windows had been removed, reports show. Damage was set at $4,000, a total loss. The cause is under investigation.