After losing his home of 24 years in a fire late Monday night, Robert Bass says all he can do now is focus on work and family.

“I kind of caught myself turning to go there yesterday,” the 53-year-old assistant supervisor of transportation with the Vicksburg Warren School District said Wednesday. “It’s kind of a strange feeling knowing you can’t go home.”

Bass has stayed with relatives since his duplex at 1007 Second North St. and five other structures around it were charred by flames in the three-alarm blaze that broke out about 11:44 p.m. and raged for nearly two hours. Bass, his fiance and her brother were inside but escaped without injury.

Also claimed by the fire were a vacant house next door at 1005 Second North St., Lowe & Lowe Grocery at 1001 Second North St., another residence listed at 1007 and two small homes on Jackson Street next to the neighborhood store. Bass owned all but one structure.

Eleven units and 25 firefighters responded, with some remaining on the scene until 4:14 a.m. Tuesday, said Mark Hales, assistant chief for fire operations, adding Bass’ home was “fully involved” with wind-driven flames shooting about 40 feet in the air.

An investigation into the cause has involved the Mississippi Fire Marshal’s Office, a spokesman for the state agency said. Vicksburg fire investigators said the fire began inside the unoccupied house and yellow caution tape indicated evidence was gathered from the entire corner of the block.

Bass, his fiance, Vontricia Fuller, and her brother, Bobby Lee, were asleep inside the duplex when Fuller awoke to some sort of cracking or popping sound, according to family members.

“She woke up to some kind of light — well, that light was the flames. I moved my truck so the fire department could get to the fire,” Bass said, adding nearly all of his possessions were lost. “Everything you can imagine.”

Losing the corner store after about 50 years in the family will be especially harsh for the community, relatives said.

“We sold snacks, food, drinks and things in there, and had a little area to sit in the back,” Bass said.

His aunt, Bobbie, was among several friends and relatives who rushed to the area as firefighters fought the flames. Where investigators believe the fire began, at 1005, had been boarded up and had had no electricity for about 15 years, she said.

“An empty building doesn’t set itself on fire,” the aunt said.

Where Bass had lived had been a place she and other relatives had visited countless times growing up, she said. Property loss is no stranger to her family, but has only made the family stronger in recent years.

“My sister was living in New Orleans when Katrina hit,” she said. “We say in the family when one is hurt, we all are hurt. But, we’re thankful (the fire) didn’t take their lives. You can replace things… but you can’t replace a life.”

The blaze was at least the sixth fire reported inside the city since Jan. 1.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com