Just Let the houses Burn Down

[MidTownMs]

DFD Commissioner Donald Austin today said "Let empty houses burn down as long as there are no occupied houses nearby."

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news...-20110825-wpms

[Planner3357]

Let's just burn the whole city down.

[hamtown mike]

Outside of some environmental issues I see no problem with this. Saves cities the $15,000-$30,000 cost of demolishing, or at least makes it a hell of a lot cheaper.

[Detroitnerd]

This is the stupidest statement I've ever heard from a fire department official.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

I'm not sure, but it makes some sense to me. Better to have them burned to the ground rather than half burned, only to sit and decay.

[SWMAP]

The DFD would still ahve to come to such a fire - to determine if the structure fits all the protocol [[abandoned, empty, isolated, etc). After that, I think it could be a good strategy - although the negative air quality impacts would be enormous and bad, especially in the summer.

LeDuff points out other negatives, such as vigilante arson. Important to think that through further.

[hamtown mike]

flint started this policy in 2007

http://www.techimo.com/forum/debatei...neighbors.html

Warren Ohio has is considering burning vacant homes to train fire fighters
http://www.tribtoday.com/page/conten....html?nav=5021

[Detroitnerd]

Oh, yeah. This is going to go great. Right until the first lawsuit against the city is filed...

[Meddle]

I've been saying this for years -- maybe 20 years or more. Let one company stand by to watch for exposures instead of having five or six companies working on a vacant hulk. No need to pour thousands of gallons of drinking water on them either and reduces the likelyhood of working two, three, four or more fires at the same hulk of a former house.

Air quality already sucks, so that shouldn't be an issue.

[Meddle]

One issue I can see is when the gang punks and drug fools start dumping bodies in these hulks and torching them. Nobody searches, nobody finds the body, no evidence.

Another issue would be squatters or homeless using it for shelter. Nobody knows they're in there so nobody goes looking.

[kraig]

Outside of some environmental issues I see no problem with this. Saves cities the $15,000-$30,000 cost of demolishing, or at least makes it a hell of a lot cheaper.

Just sticking with the Environmental issues should be enough. That's a lot of asbestos being put into the neighborhoods. Between the DetroitWorks Project, the announcement by Chief Godbee last week and now this, there's just too much that the City is trying to avoid as far as responsibilities go.

[hamtown mike]

One issue I can see is when the gang punks and drug fools start dumping bodies in these hulks and torching them. Nobody searches, nobody finds the body, no evidence.

Another issue would be squatters or homeless using it for shelter. Nobody knows they're in there so nobody goes looking.

This is a very very valid point.

[SWMAP]

The DFD would still come to a structure fire to determine whether abandoned.

[Richard]

Just breath deep when they are burning ,old lead paint and asbestos fibers burning and the smoke settling on cars and the ground then going into the water supply when it rains ,good thing no small children or food is grown in Detroit.Poster child for the EPA.

[RickBeall]

This is the smartest statement I've ever heard from a fire department official.

[wolverine]

They are going to have to make some tough judgement calls. Certainly it would be better not risking lives to save an abandoned home, but if it does get out of control and some flying embers travel far enough several lots out of the "burn zone" there will probably be lawsuits.

[Zacha341]

OK, LOL! That's written like some of the 'comments' you see with these kinds of new articles!

Let's just burn the whole city down.

[Zacha341]

Indeed one senses a 'throw in the towel' feel about these recent announcements. What's next -- -- ? No police or fire service between 1:45 - 3:15 PM Tues-Thursday will save Detroit XX $!!?

Just sticking with the Environmental issues should be enough. That's a lot of asbestos being put into the neighborhoods. Between the DetroitWorks Project, the announcement by Chief Godbee last week and now this, there's just too much that the City is trying to avoid as far as responsibilities go.

[Zacha341]

Precisely!

Oh, yeah. This is going to go great. Right until the first lawsuit against the city is filed...

[Zacha341]

"Breathe deep the gathering gloom...."
-- Moody Blues

Just breath deep when they are burning ,old lead paint and asbestos fibers burning and the smoke settling on cars and the ground then going into the water supply when it rains ,good thing no small children or food is grown in Detroit.Poster child for the EPA.

[Detroitej72]

old lead paint and asbestos fibers burning.

I don't think you have to worry about asbestos burning, since the reason it was used was the fact it doesn't burn.

[Jimaz]

This seems similar to an urban version of controlled burns in forests except those are deliberately set by officials and, unlike trees, houses don't grow back naturally.

[RickBeall]

But the houses do grow back naturally when the cleared land is redeveloped!

I think the controlled burn in forests is a great analogy.

[Crumbled_pavement]

Indeed one senses a 'throw in the towel' feel about these recent announcements. What's next -- -- ? No police or fire service between 1:45 - 3:15 PM Tues-Thursday will save Detroit XX $!!?

Detroit might as well throw in the towel. If you drive around the city it looks like it was already policy to let structures burn.

[Richard]

"Breathe deep the gathering gloom...."
-- Moody Blues

LOL Thanks for the correction, proof positive of the long term effects of lead on ones brain,either that or from listening to the Moody Blues and Doors in the preferred state of mind back in the days .