Morehead City officials confirmed an early morning fire on Monday destroyed a duplex. Morehead Fire & EMS responded to a house fire at 4454 B Arendell Street just after 7:15 a.m. Two people live at the duplex but were not home at the time of the fire. Smoke and flames were visible when firefighters arrived. The 4454 B side of the Duplex is a total loss, the other side received smoke damage. The Fire Marshal says a portable electric heater was plugged into a household extension cord, and that extension cord failed causing the fire. He wants to remind residents that appliances should always be plugged directly into a wall, instead of an extension cord.