What do we know about arson?

[nvrenuf]

There have been people in there constantly. The neighbors have been reporting people on the roof and flashlights in there at night. The whole back of the property is strewn with clothes, bedding, food packaging and condoms/condom wrappers.

And this is why I blame Hionedes. He did not properly protect the building. I hope his negligence is taken into consideration in the insurance settlement.

[Julie Anne]

There are a couple of fire issues in Springfield:

homeless:

1.) there is cold weather fire- lighting the fireplace or trying to
create a fire pit in the structure
2.) cooking and 'candle light' fires, cooking stove/homemade firepit
gets out of control or fogets to put it out (happens all year)
I actually saw this first hand at a house on ionia they had a
GIANT candle that they forgot to put out and it tipped over.

copper theives:

1.) they steal the air conditioner parts- just expensive destruction
2.) they break into the house and strip it from wire using fire in
the form of blow torches (this actually occured at my present
house prior to moving in, found the burns on the wall/floors,
and the empty canisters
3.) they break in the house and rip out all the wire, then pile it up
and burn it outside (which also starts some structure fires,
found evidence of this on 12th st W before, big piles of melted
rubber/plastic

arsonists:

1.) SOME of the fires on Ionia are a perfect example of arson- we all
know it. some are just homeless again. A cluster of houses on
ionia between 7th and 8th are all arson, without doubt.

a serial arsonist loose in springfield? not in the panic making sense these are all related, and may not be the same person setting those specific fires, but certainly the same person instigating them. no one should be in fear their house is next, as these at least appear to be money making/revenge schemes.

[dblanch100]

I thought the ac copper was gone long ago as the units have been destroyed for awhile. There have been people in there constantly. The neighbors have been reporting people on the roof and flashlights in there at night. The whole back of the property is strewn with clothes, bedding, food packaging and condoms/condom wrappers. It was my understanding that the copper being stolen now was from electrical wiring. They were burning off the plastic coating from around the wire. I have heard from ac contractors that they are being approached by people who "can get their hands on lots of copper" and are looking for a/c folks to help them dispose of it. Where there is a will there is a way and unscrupulous people will always find that way.

Lisa, I believe you and I were in there together several years ago. I agree, I dont think there was any copper left back then! There were entire rooms filled with rubber from stripped wire. The AC units were completely dismantled.

If they were in there for copper, they weren't getting much.

[bananas]

And this is why I blame Hionedes. He did not properly protect the building. I hope his negligence is taken into consideration in the insurance settlement.

I totally agree, but I also think the city bears some responsibility. If the owner has not properly secured the building then they should have cited him and seized the property and auctioned it off. The city cannot allow buildings to be unsecured and deteriorate - they are public safety hazards. If the owners are not going to properly secure the properties then the city has a responsibility to the communitiy at large to seize the building and put it into the hands of someone who will care for it.

[Erick]

And this is why I blame Hionedes. He did not properly protect the building. I hope his negligence is taken into consideration in the insurance settlement.

I totally agree, but I also think the city bears some responsibility. If the owner has not properly secured the building then they should have cited him and seized the property and auctioned it off. The city cannot allow buildings to be unsecured and deteriorate - they are public safety hazards. If the owners are not going to properly secure the properties then the city has a responsibility to the communitiy at large to seize the building and put it into the hands of someone who will care for it.

+1000

[nvrenuf]

Absolutely bananas but unfortunately every time we tell that to the City and even mention protecting historic properties is in their own ordinances they tell us 'the City does not wish to be in the real estate business'. I think it is a cop out answer.

[bananas]

It IS a cop out - especially since it is written in that they have the authority to do it. Can the community sue the city, Miss Fixit? Something has to FORCE them to wake up!

[Gloria]

There is something in the works -- something that was mentioned at the condemned structures sub-committee but that they don't want to introduce until the new admin is in place. From what we've pick up, it probably has to do with foreclosing on houses with excessive liens. But this is just a guess. They really aren't saying.

This will NOT help the "Formal Track" houses.

[crissiecudd]

With the speed and total devastation of the Job Corps building fire they will never be able to prove what happened. The odds are good that an unlawful inhabitant did something to spark it and was long gone by the time it erupted. But it is peculiar that the building was a week away from foreclosure when the fire happened. Wonder how much the owner had it insured for and how much he owed on it. Just sayin'.