The cause of a fire late Thursday night in Atlantic is listed as “undetermined,” but considered to be suspicious. Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees said crews responded to a reported shed/garage fire at 403 Birch Street, at around 11:55-p.m.  He said upon arrival, an attached shed was fully engulfed in flames and the garage was becoming involved.

McNees said the contents of the nearby home had been removed earlier in the day because the residence had been foreclosed on. He asks anyone who may have seen anything suspicious late Thursday night to call the Atlantic Police or Fire Department’s non-emergency numbers.

He says the contents of the shed and garage were damaged by smoke and fire, and the garage is currently structurally unsound and most likely a total loss. A dollar amount was not immediately available.

McNees said they are looking into three possible causes for the fire, including a discarded cigarette, intentional, or electrical. The latter he says, is the least likely to have been the cause. The fire spread rapidly due to the number of accelerants stored inside the shed.