Orange Beach, Ala. — (GSN) — Orange Beach Fire & Rescue responded to two significant structure fires along River Road within a span of eight hours between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. The first event occurred at 6:06 p.m. on Tuesday in the 32,800 block, followed by a second response at 1:19 a.m. Wednesday in the 33,000 block.

The cause and origin of both fires remain under investigation. Because both incidents occurred during the storm system, investigators are examining all potential causes, including lightning. No official determination has been made at this time regarding the cause of either fire.

Orange Beach Fire & Rescue received assistance from Gulf Shores Fire Rescue, Escambia County Fire Rescue, and the Orange Beach Police Department during both responses.

Fire Chief Jeff Smith praised his crews following the overnight ordeal. "Our crews did an excellent job responding to two separate structure fires in a relatively short period of time while also handling seven additional incidents throughout the night," Smith said. "Those additional calls included a Tanker Task Force response to assist the Robertsdale Fire Department."

Smith added that his department's performance reflected the high standard the community expected. "I'm extremely proud of the professionalism and dedication our firefighters demonstrated throughout a very busy night," he said. "They continued to respond, operate safely, and provide the level of service our community expects, while also being there to assist our neighboring departments when called upon."

Additional information will be released as it becomes available without compromising the ongoing investigations.