Investigation underway into two suspicious fires in Lawrenceville

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Units of the Lawrence-Allison Fire Protection District along with Bridgeport and Vincennes Township fire personnel were mobilized to two suspicious fires in Lawrenceville early Friday morning. Firefighters were called out around 2:50 a.m. to 308 Lexington Avenue where a vacant house owned by Marcella Barrix of Bridgeport had caught fire. The blaze did an estimated $5000 damage to the house. The heat from the fire also caused $10,000 in exposure damage to the 306 Lexington Avenue home of Leia Wheeler. The fire is under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshall and Lawrenceville police.  Later around 3 a.m. those firefighters were called to 1418 5th Street where a garage owned by Stephen Castleman of Belleville Illinois was on fire. The fire there caused $3000 in estimated damage. It is also considered as possible arson and is under investigation by the State Fire Marshall and city police. There were no reported injuries.