Four people lost their homes and most of their possessions in two house fires on Christmas and Christmas Eve.

Bud Benefield, deputy chief for Carroll County Fire and Rescue, said the fires on Heath Road in Clem Thursday and on Wessmanor Circle in Bowdon Wednesday could have been started by heaters. Both homes were completely destroyed by the fires.

Firefighters on Christmas morning were sent to Old Newnan Road behind Jeff’s Exxon store but were unable to find a fire until they were flagged down by a motorist who said something was ablaze on Heath Road. Benefield said fire crews found the mobile home, where George Wilson lived, with flames venting from two sides -- with a heavy concentration of fire in the living room and kitchen.

Authorities said Wilson had left the mobile home briefly to cut fire wood when a defective wood heater inside started the fire. Although firefighters were able to bring the fire under control in less than 10 minutes, Benefield said most of the belongings inside the mobile home, where Wilson lived alone, were destroyed.

On Christmas Eve, while Davena McKey and her teenage daughters were away at a movie theater, the wood-frame house they rented on Wessmanor Circle caught fire, causing heavy damage to the living room and kitchen and severe smoke and heat damage throughout the home.

Benefield said the family returned home around 12:30 a.m. and found the house engulfed on two sides of the home with smoke venting throughout the interior. Fire crews from seven trucks -- including two water tankers -- were used to bring the fire under control since there were no water hydrants available in the area.

Authorities said McKey, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, and her children are staying with family members following the loss of their home. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

“It is somewhat unusual to have that many people displaced in two separate fires in two days,” Benefield said. “These were seasonal-type fires that occurred as a result of heating or inside activity. The heater in Thursday’s fire did have a crack on the bottom and was defective. Anyone using wood to heat should make sure they burn clean wood and dispose of the ashes properly after leaving them in a metal container stored for a long period.”