Photo Provided An abandoned house in Bellaire burns on Saturday.

BELLAIRE — A string of fires in abandoned Bellaire homes is under investigation.

The third fire to occur in vacant houses in the village happened Saturday. The house was fully engulfed in flames when responders arrived.

The fire broke out at a structure on West 23rd Street. It was the second fire in an abandoned house on that street.

The Bellaire Volunteer Fire Department received the call around 10:30 p.m. Saturday and cleared the scene at 1 a.m., according to Fire Chief Tim Bell. He noted that a driver ran over five sections of fire hose, causing it to burst.

The department lost water as a result, and firefighters had to let the fire burn until they were able to reestablish their source of water by going back to the station to get more hoses.

The fire department got called back to the location over the next two days because the blaze rekindled. Firefighters couldn’t get equipment to the somewhat remote location of the house to move the roof off of the basement, so they kept going back to put water on the fire because it smoldered for two days.

Bell said the fire had burned for a while before first responders arrived. The house has been abandoned for the last six years. The electric meter had been removed, so there was no electricity inside of the house.

Damage was contained to the single structure.

The Ohio State Fire Marshal is investigating this house fire and the fires at two other abandoned houses in Bellaire. Bell said the last couple of fires the department has dealt with have been suspicious, so the fire marshal is working closely with local officials in an effort to identify those who are causing the fires.

Bell said many squatters live in Bellaire. He believes their efforts to stay warm this time of year can catch houses on fire. He said there had been a report of squatters living in the house that burned Saturday.