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That's why the efforts of the fire department to contain a fire early this morning are commendable - in fact, according to senior personnel, it's nothing short of a miracle that the whole block didn't burn.

Kenneth Mortis, Head of Training, Fire Department
"That is an area that has closely built houses; some of them are houses long before me and your time. Some of the recent ones are on cement structure, so like I said its only a miracle that the damage that was done today was at its minimal."

And minimal means these two structures that were in the idle of petticoat alley. These charred embers cast about the lot are all that's left.

The fire was detected at 3:00 am.

Kenneth Mortis, Head of Training, Fire Department
"When the fire started it was it was discovered by one of the children from the upper portion of the house who went to use the bathroom and on exiting he was alerted of strange noises so he woke up the older ones in the house and that was when they discovered that the house was on fire. So they barely manage to escape with their lives. Only save was what they were wearing. They didn't have electricity. We did manage to get a word with those inside the building and they confirm to us that they were not using any candles at that particular time. Now the funny thing is why would someone want to burn down a building that isn't occupied unless that person had criminal intent meaning they want to take the lives of those that were inside the building."

The residents didn't have much and were left with nothing at all, but we didn't hear much sympathy from the neighbors - whose homes also received fire damage.

Ruben Can, Neighbor
"About around 3 O' clock this morning I just wake up and I feel the heat; I had on 2 fans, my kid and I were sleeping. I just start to feel the heat and I look up through the window because its was right beside my room; I see the bungalow house in flames."

Jules Vasquez
"You feel that your house was going to burn down?"

Ruben Can, Neighbor
"Yes, because I was right beside the fence there beside my mother house because the fire was already across here."

The closely penned neighborhood saw 4 structures damaged - and those we spoke to say they sort of expected it:

Voice of Carla Alvarez - Resident of 30 years
"To be honest with you, this was not something surprising to me because every time with our neighbors with the amount of garbage that they have in their yard and sometimes when they quarrel the kids sometimes say that they will burn down this house. So it was something that we were prepared for."

Ruben Can, Neighbor
"A lot of problems, a guy had already threatened them to burn down the house."

Jules Vasquez
"Do you feel angry? Obviously you have cost, you have insurance?"

Ruben Can, Neighbor
"No I don't have any insurance. Angry yes because a lot of kids are around here. I had my kids' right beside me and you would never know what could have happen. If I had lost my kids then it would be a different thing."

Kenneth Mortis, Head of Training, Fire Department
"We had those same stories; we have nothing so far to directly say that it was an arson case."

But arson or not, for sure this could have been a block burner, and the fact that no one was hurt, and only two structures went down is remarkable

Kenneth Mortis, Head of Training, Fire Department
"By the Grace of God. This morning's infernos kinda work out in our favor. The key objective that we had against us was the wind. The wind was blowing directly in an eastward direction and if it had continue the way it did then we would have had more than just those 2 buildings that have been down. Our initial deployment was very key; that was what kind of only allowed us to lose the 2 buildings and for the lending hands in the neighborhood; we also want to thank them because we can't do it by ourselves."

Police report that 18 year old Shaun Augustine, was awakened by a neighbor who told her that the house beside her one was on fire. That house was unoccupied. The houses belong to Doreth Jones Foreman and were not insured.