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NATCHEZ —Neighboring houses caught on fire at 13 and 11 Woodside Court located off of Lower Woodville Road on Friday evening.

Larry Hooper, a neighbor, said he just happened to be outside around 6 p.m. Friday when the fire started.

He heard a popping noise like glass breaking and looked up. He saw a flame shooting straight up from the back of the house. He called 911 and then began knocking on neighbor’s doors and calling for help. Within 10 minutes of the first 911 call, Hooper said Natchez Fire Department had arrived on scene but the fire had already spread to the neighboring house.

“The wind was blowing,” he said. “I tried my best to keep it from going to the second house but the hose wasn’t long enough. I went to my other neighbor and banged on his door and got his son out of the house.”

The worst part, he said, was later on that night when the second house rekindled.

“Reports are electricity wasn’t shut off as it was supposed to be and the fire rekindled during the night,” Natchez Fire Chief Robert Arrington said. “The cause of the first fire is still under investigation and the one that originally caught fire, ignited the second.”

Hooper said before midnight Friday, he heard an elderly woman scream and call out for help. She mistakenly said there were people inside, Hooper said, likely not realizing that it was the second time that day that the house burned.

“I ran over thinking that the family must’ve stayed in the house,” Hooper said, adding that fortunately there wasn’t anyone at home.

When it first caught fire, about one-quarter of the home was burned up. When it caught fire the second time, the rest of the house was engulfed in flames, he said.

The owner of the first house had died a few months prior. Her son, who lives in Baton Rouge, lost all of his mother’s belongings that were stored in the house, Hooper said.

The second home belonged to a woman with three daughters who is also a veteran.

“They lost everything,” Hooper said. “I believe the older two daughters are in college but living at home and the youngest is a teenager and a student at Vidalia High School.”

Hooper said he is gathering information from the family such as clothing sizes to see how the community may help support them in their time of need.

Arrington said cautioned the public that conditions are not good for burning.

“If I’m not mistaken, the county is working on a burn ban. Regardless, we caution people with their burning. I would advise against having any open flame and I wouldn’t suggest burning anything in this weather. High winds and dry conditions are always a bad burning situation.”

This story will be updated with additional information when available.