An explosion reported by neighbors led to one of two house fires in the city within 30 minutes of each other this morning.

No injuries were reported.

Despite continued rain showers, flames and smoke shot from a house at 5670 N. Washington St. as the blaze engulfed most of the 2,000-square-foot brick structure. The fire was reported at 9:06.

At least half of the house was heavily damaged, and firefighters were still on the scene 1 1/2 hours after the blaze.

Neighbors of the home near Thompson Lake Road said they heard the explosion just before they saw the blaze.

Vicksburg Fire Department Battalion Chief Marion Cole said the fire appeared to start near the north end of the house, where a carport and a pickup parked underneath were heavily damaged.

The homeowner, Dolly Jones, was out of town. A friend, Dale Chancey, was inside the house at the time of the fire but escaped.

Earlier, at 8:45 a.m., faulty wiring near the front door of a home at 1415 High St., two blocks off East Avenue, was the suspected cause of a fire.

One of the residents who uses an oxygen machine was being treated on the scene by Vicksburg Fire Department emergency medical technicians.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com.