House fire on Church Street late Saturday night

A Wilmington family is trying to put their lives back together after their home caught fire late Saturday night.

The home was on the 1900 block of Church Street. Fire investigators said the fire started from a cigarette in one of the back rooms. Neighbors said the smoke was so thick that they had to evacuate their homes for nearly two hours.

No one was home at the time, but inside were valuables and personal belongings that were destroyed in the blaze.

The home owner, Edna Corbett said, “Our next door neighbors say someone called and said something was on fire in the back yard, and so she thought it was the next door neighbor on the other street but it was right here.”

The family has contacted a Red Cross volunteer to help them find a place to live.