A suspicious fire destroyed a vacant house in Sheraden and damaged an adjacent home early today.

The fire, the ninth reported in that neighborhood since last month, was reported at 2:12 a.m. in the 3000 block of Merwyn. The fire appeared to have started on the back porch of 3014 Merwyn and spread to 3012, Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones said. Arson investigators were at the scene this morning.

The 3014 address was being renovated and was unoccupied, and five people -- three adults and two children -- escaped unharmed from 3012.

No injuries were reported in any of the nine fires, Chief Jones said.

"We are going to do the best we can to nip this problem before someone gets hurt," he said.

He called the Sheraden fires the public safety department's "top priority."

Residents in the area should exercise vigilance, clear debris from around their houses and make sure smoke detectors are installed in their homes, Chief Jones said.

"Vigilance is key to stopping this problem, along with good housekeeping," he said.

City Councilwoman Theresa Smith, whose district includes Sheraden, was at the Merwyn location this morning, after she received a phone call from a resident about the fire. Last week, Mrs. Smith organized a community meeting to address the rash of fires in the area. Following the most recent fire, Mrs. Smith said she planned to work with the police and residents to organize a community watch program, and said this weekend Sheraden would hold a community cleanup day to remove debris and trash from around homes.

"We need to take some responsibility for what's happening in our community," she said. "We need to clean this area up."

No charges have been filed in connection with any of the suspicious fires.