A concerned citizen notified authorities of a possible fire in an abandoned building on North First Street at approximately 9:40 a.m. Tuesday.

Multiple Brookhaven Fire Department units responded, along with Civil Defense and Brookhaven Police. Surrounded by dead trees and brush, a fire in an abandoned structure has the potential to spread quickly.

Fortunately, authorities did not find a building in flames, but a small, contained fire started by a homeless man who was either trying to get warm or cook, or both. The fire was producing a lot of smoke that went up through holes in the roof, however, causing the passerby to believe the building was on fire.

BFD made certain the fire was extinguished and Brookhaven Police officers spoke with the unidentified man.