Cape Coral firefighters responded to two house fires within 30 minutes of each other on Thursday night, both of which resulted in the structures being red-tagged, meaning they are no longer livable.

The first call came in at 5:07 p.m. from 2717 Gleason Parkway West. Deemed accidental in nature, the fire was a result of linseed oil on rags left in the laundry room, according to a CCFD report.

Damage to the structure totaled $30,000. According to the Lee County Property Appraiser’s website, Chris and Lisa Paone were listed as the owners of record.

The second call came in at 5:42 p.m. from 3810 Palm Tree Blvd. Also deemed accidental in nature, the fire was the result of an electronic device being left on top of a recliner, according to a CCFD report.

Damage to the structure totaled $80,000. Alfredo Chavez is listed as the owner of record, according to the Lee County Property Appraiser’s website.

Firefighter Lt. Tim Clark was injured during the fire on Palm Tree Boulevard with possible injuries to his neck, back and ribs, according to the report.

Division Chief Tom Tomitch said Clark was released from the hospital and was doing well.

“It’s not as bad as we thought. He’ll be out of work a week and then he’ll return,” Tomitch said. “We were afraid he had broken ribs. He landed on his back on his air tank, which usually makes for a more traumatic injury.”

Tomitch said Clark slipped on a tile floor that was covered in soot. In those conditions, the soot becomes as slippery as ice and is very hazardous, Tomitch said.

The CCFD has been fighting more back-to-back fires, Tomitch said.

“It’s happening more and more frequently. It’s a peculiar pattern we’re in. We’ve had some back-to-back fires in the last few months that seem to stretch us out,” he added.