An abandoned two-story structure on East River Road at North was destroyed by fire Monday night.

Mathews Volunteer Fire Chief Todd Wilson said the fire occurred around 8 p.m. when people living in a mobile home next door to the building left a fire burning in a burn pit outside to go inside and have supper. When they came out, he said, the structure was ablaze. It was an older wooden building and the fire grew “rather quickly,” said Wilson.

Six engines and one truck were dispatched at 8:04 p.m., and the first unit arrived on the scene seven minutes later to find that the roof of the building had already collapsed, said Wilson. Firefighters were on the scene until 10:50 p.m. extinguishing the fire.

“I was going to watch the Redskins get their butts beat,” said Wilson, “but I did that instead.” ...