Two local families are homeless after fires Thursday night and Friday morning destroyed their dwellings.

The first fire started at about 8 p.m. Thursday when a space heater caught fire in a second-floor bathroom at 52 S. Race St., Greenville, Fire Chief Steve Thompson said.

The Darr family was home when the fire started, but no one was injured, Thompson said. He said the second floor of the home was badly damaged.

A family cat was lost but firefighters were able to save three pet birds, the chief said.

The house is insured but is unlivable, and the family is staying with relatives, Thompson said.

Volunteers from Hempfield and West Salem townships assisted in fighting the blaze that took about 2è hours to put out.

The second fire broke out at 11:07 a.m. Friday at the home of Todd and Rebecca Miller, 177 W. Jamestown Road, West Salem Township.

The fire, which was ruled accidental, started on the back porch, West Salem Fire Chief Chris Madura said. He said a state fire marshal has been called to determine the cause.

Mrs. Miller and her daughter Abby, 2, were home when the fire started, but were not injured, Madura said.

The fire spread from the porch into the first-floor living area, through the second floor and through the attic, Madura said. All the contents of the house were destroyed, except for a video camera and a few pictures, he said.

The damage estimate for the house was $100,000, and the contents were valued at $20,000, Madura said. The family had insurance, he said.

Mercer County Chapter of the American Red Cross assisted the Millers, who were staying at the Howard Johnson motel in East Lackawannock Township Friday night, Madura said.

West Salem firefighters were assisted by firefighters from the Greenville, Hempfield Township, Clark, Transfer, Jamestown, East Fallowfield Township and Burghill-Vernon departments. A Clark firefighter was treated at the hospital of Sharon Regional Health System for an eye injury, Madura said.

Herald Staff Writer Amanda Smith-Teutsch contributed to this story.