A veteran emergency responder sees a disturbing trend which has led to the loss of a Wiregrass home.

Flames raced through a house on Briarwood Drive in Enterprise late Tuesday

The homeowner, Michael Pastelak, was not inside at the time.

Enterprise Fire Chief Byron Herring says the apparent cause was a lighted candle left unattended.

With a number of people now using incense candles, chief Herring says they've led to numerous fires and loss of life nationwide.

He says candles left burning in a home led to a fatal house fire which claimed the life of an elderly Enterprise woman a few years-ago.

Fortunately, no one was injured in Tuesday’s fire.