A crash against the door was heard while a grandmother was on her way to work. A home on the corner of Perry and Daniel Street in Dobbins Heights caught fire on Friday morning at about 2:50 a.m., but the only damage done was to the back door of the home.

There was also another fire on Hwy 38 in Hamlet off of Crestwood Drive. The split level home caught fire Friday morning at about 4:30 a.m. as well. The home has been totaled.

During the month of May, there have been nine structural and four brush fires in Dobbins Heights.

“Two of the structures have been with utilities, with the possibility of six fatalities,” Dobbins Heights Mayor Antonio Blue said.

This makes the sixth structure fire in Hamlet in the past five weeks.

There is a reward through the North Carolina Arson Awareness Council, through the State Bureau of Investigation and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office

“We have the full support of the Sheriff’s Office,” Blue said.

The amount of the award ranges from $100 to $1,000. It’s available for information that will lead to the arrest and indictment of the person setting arson fires.

Chief Deputy Phil Sweatt of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office said all the detectives are working on the case.

Detective Michael Williams of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office said they are waiting on the results from the lab to determine the cause of the fires. Samples are taken from the structure where the fire supposedly has started.

Brandon “B” Goldston, 34, of Old River Road in Rockingham, was taken into custody two weeks ago on two charges of burning an uninhabited dwelling. Williams said the suspect is still in jail.

Detective Lieutenant Scott Waters of the Hamlet Police Department said, “We are hoping the evidence comes back soon.”

“You would think the homes have been burned to sell the copper and metal, but that’s not the case here,” said Waters.

Blue was asked if the fires may be stemming since a notice regarding the individuals that owe property taxes, but haven’t paid them.

“People don’t set fires to get out of paying taxes any more,” Blue said.

There are a full list of individuals in Hamlet that need to make those payments at the Hamlet City Hall. The list of individuals in Dobbins Heights that need to make those payments will be in the Richmond County Daily Journal.

Contact the NCAAC at 800-334-3000, or Richmond County Crime Stoppers at (910) 997-4647 or (910) 895-2549 with more information.

Hollie Nivens can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 19 or by e-mailing at hnivens@yourdailyjournal.com