FERRIDAY — The Ferriday Fire Department is investigating the cause of fire that destroyed three neighboring houses in the 400 block of Sixth Street Monday night.

Fire Chief Herman Smith said the fire department arrived on the scene at approximately 3 a.m. to find one of the houses destroyed and the other two completely engulfed.

Smith said one of the houses was abandoned and two were occupied, but everyone escaped safely.

The department, Smith said, fought the fire for approximately three hours. All of the houses were a total loss, he said.

No cause for the fire has been determined, Smith said, because the department has not been able to contact the homeowners.