LORAIN — Two abandoned four-unit homes on North Central Drive burned within hours of each other overnight, bringing to five the number of recent fires on the same short street the Lorain Fire Department believes were arson.

Besides the fires’ close timing and proximity, Assistant Chief Anthony Cuevas said the fact that the buildings were vacant points to arson.

“These buildings had no electricity or gas, and they’d been secured at some point,” Cuevas said. “There’s no accidental reason these buildings would have burned. Somebody intentionally set these fires.”

Firefighters were called to 814 North Central Drive just before 10 last night, according to Fire Lt. Shawn Lloyd.

One unit of the 4-unit building was destroyed, and all the units had smoke damage, he said. Damage was estimated at $20,000.

Cuevas was wrapping up his investigation and leaving the scene of the first fire about 11:30 last night when he saw what looked like lights or a television reflecting in the window of another building.

“I though ‘How could that be? There’s no power,” Cuevas said. “We found the back door kicked in, called for the pumper at the other fire, and sure enough.”

That fire, at 852 North Central, another four-unit building, caused about $10,000 in damage.

Just 10 days earlier, Jan. 14, 824 North Central Drive and 858 North Central Drive burned within an hour of each other. Those homes were abandoned four-unit buildings as well.

Cuevas said he investigated another fire sometime before Christmas. It was also a vacant four-unit building. He didn’t know the address, but said it was next to the 814 North Central fire from last night. That building has already been torn down, he said.

Cuevas wouldn’t comment on potential suspects, motives or how the fires were set. He said the Lorain Fire Department’s fire prevention bureau will put together a report on the fires, which it will forward to the Lorain Police Department’s detective bureau for investigation.