Durham Fire Department officials said flames raged for only five minutes before firefighters were able to get a handle on the Thursday blaze at 2116 Ashe St., which investigators called "suspicious."

Although the house was not occupied at the time of the fire, Battalion Chief G.W. Reams said it is a known haunt of drug users.

"When you have an empty house in a drug-infested neighborhood area like that, people will use it to conduct their business," he said.

Police spokeswoman Kammie Michael said officers have been out to the house 14 times since the beginning of the year. Police made four prostitution arrests at the address last year, she said, adding that investigators have staged several prostitution stings in the area more recently.

Darrell Phillips, 14, reported that he had been threatened with a handgun Wednesday at the Neal Middle School bus stop located outside the house, just six days after a 16-year-old girl was brutally assaulted with a razor less than five hundred feet away.

Parents and the Rev. Melvin Whitley plan to be outside the charred house early today, in a show of support for the children Whitley said must contend with prostitutes and drug dealers every morning on their way to school.

Darrell, who moved to Durham with his mother and two sisters four months ago, said he was waiting for the bus when, he alleges, another teenager began taunting him.

The other teen walked away from the bus stop in the direction of the nearby M&M Mini Mart, and returned holding a pistol, Darrell alleged.

"He came back and said, 'What you got to say now?' I didn't say anything, I was trying not to look at the gun. Then he pulled a red bandanna up around his neck [and acted like] he wanted to fight."

The conflict between the other teen and Darrell, according to Darrell's mom, A.J. St. John, began Monday when the boys had a physical altercation. A relative of the other teen spat in Darrell's face, St. John said. Later, her son responded by punching the relative in the face, St. John said.

Sheriff's deputies interviewed both teens Monday, according to Sheriff's Capt. Paul Martin. Martin said the deputies could not tell who had caused the conflict and told St. John to speak with a magistrate to see if she had cause to swear out a warrant for the other teen's arrest.

St. John said she did swear out that warrant but even after the alleged handgun incident, she said, the other teen was a spectator when firefighters responded to the Ashe Street fire.

Meanwhile, District One investigators are looking into the assault on the 16-year-old, Martin said. While he could not say too much about the case, he reported the girl required more than 100 stitches.

Larry Wells, father of an 11-year-old boy who waits at Darrell Phillips' bus stop each school day, said he worries every day for his son's safety in East Durham. Because the father leaves for work at 5 a.m., he said he has instructed his son not to leave the family's house until the bus arrives at the corner.

Wells added he was angry that Neal Middle School had notified parents of the dangers at the bus stop.

Durham Public Schools spokesman Michael Yarbrough said he could not comment and referred The Herald-Sun to Durham police.

Whitley said he is enraged that a bus stop is located on the same corner as a house frequented by drug users and prostitutes. Whitley said he has long asked the city to do something about the prostitutes and crack users who did business in the dark of 2116 Ashe St.

"Kids ought to be able to get on and off the bus without being threatened, without passing prostitutes," Whitley said.

He vowed to be at the corner this morning to help take back the corner from the individuals he said are ruining East Durham.

"I can't let them have that corner," he said.