Photos by Jennifer Compston-Strough Flames consume this home at 204 Abby St. in Belmont early today. It was the second time in recent weeks a fire was reported at that location.

BELMONT– The second fire to rip through a Belmont home this month is now being investigated as an arson.

Fire again broke out at 204 Abby St. in Belmont at around approximately 4:30 a.m. Thursday. The fire completely consumed the structure, which had already been damaged by a prior blaze on Aug. 10. The Belmont Volunteer Fire Department was joined by firefighters from Bethesda and Barnesville, who worked together to try and get the fire under control.

The fire also severely damaged a neighboring home, where Richard Pyegan and Janet Orr reside. Pyegan was up late, and was startled by several loud thumps from outside the house. When he looked out the window, he could see orange light flickering outside.

“I didn’t even have to look at the other house to know it was on fire,” Pyegan said.

After awakening Orr, Pyegan attempted to battle the blaze on his own with a garden hose. But a kink in the hose prevented enough water from coming through, and the fire was soon too large and hot for Pyegan to fight. He and Orr made it out of the house with little more than the clothes on their backs.

Firefighters managed to prevent the flames from spreading any further, but the damage was already done. In the daylight, the full extent of the damage was apparent. The residence at 204 Abby St. was a complete loss, with most of the building gutted by the intense heat and flames. The side of Pyegan and Orr’s home was also damaged by the flames, with scorching and a broken window.

As a result of the fire, Pyegan and Orr have lost most of their belongings and are reaching out to the community for assistance. Water and smoke damage has rendered their house unsafe to live in for the time being, and most of their clothes, medicine, and other belongings are total losses as well.