Vicksburg firefighters work to extinguish a blaze at 1805 Walnut St. Saturday evening. The fire destroyed the home and damaged one next door. (C. Todd ShermanThe Vicksburg Post)

Sylvia Foster watched as her neighbor’s house was destroyed by fire Saturday night and she prayed hers, only 5 feet away, would be saved.

“I prayed they could keep the fire from spreading to my house,” Foster said.

She was one of the lucky neighbors of the fire that destroyed 1805 Walnut St. and left 1807 Walnut with fire, smoke and water damage.

Felicia Buchanan, who lives with Foster at 800 Bridge St., said she saw flames at about 6:30 p.m. at 1805 Walnut, owned by Ernestine Williams of Vicksburg and occupied by Ed Miller, who was not at home. The 1807 Walnut St. home, also owned by Williams, is vacant.

“I saw the porch on fire and I called 911,” Buchanan said.

Vicksburg Fire Chief Keith Rogers said the home, about two blocks from downtowns Central Fire Station, was fully involved when firefighters received the report and responded.

“It was an old pine house, and it went up quick,” he said.

Three neighboring houses were in danger of being engulfed with fire as flames rose from the burning structure and licked houses only feet away.

“They were able to protect three houses and no one was injured, so we came out ahead,” Rogers said. “We were able to blow the fire straight in the air and save the other homes.

“It got underneath the eaves of the other house, it has water and fire damage to one wall and the attic,” Rogers said.

The houses damaged were both owned by Ernestine Williams.

Herman Campbell, Williams’ son, said the homes had been in his family for 75 years.

Rogers said the cause of the fire remained under investigation.