Heidelberg Project Arson Fires Continue

**Justin SOD** · December-09-13, 12:52 AM

Update March 8 - The "Doll House" is torched.

Jump to Update post >>

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5th Heidelberg House [[Clock House) Burned Down 12/08

http://www.freep.com/article/20131208/NEWS01/312080142/Heidelberg-Project-hit-by-fire-again-time-Clock-House-burns

**Sehv313** · December-09-13, 01:47 AM

Definitely arson, some guy really must hate Heidelberg ...smh haters!

**bailey** · December-09-13, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by Sehv313

Definitely arson, some guy really must hate Heidelberg ...smh haters!

or it's someone on the inside. I mean at some point that has to be a question right? Either it's an inside job or someone with some pretty intimate knowledge of what is going on there.

**aoife** · December-09-13, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

or it's someone on the inside. I mean at some point that has to be a question right? Either it's an inside job or someone with some pretty intimate knowledge of what is going on there.

I am sure they are all lovely people, but my first thought when the second one burned was that it was a neighbor. I can imagine it must be pretty annoying to live by something that brings in so much outside traffic and is a huge fire hazard to begin with. Sad, whoever is doing it.

**drpoundsign** · December-09-13, 11:17 AM

Why can't anyone stand guard there?? Or retrofit the homes with sprinklers and inert them with nitrogen inside??

**Zacha341** · December-09-13, 11:21 AM

This is getting nuts and beyond crazy. Where are his other installations? What if another occupied house goes up with his buildings!

**Danny** · December-09-13, 11:27 AM

This is horrible!!! Some firebug must be hired hand from some informant to burn the project down! We have find the firebug before it strikes any home in Detroit.

In this new age, nobody just don't give a ____ about arts and humanities. Nothing's sacred in America anymore. We must our art and restore humanities before the children in the future will see it on the internet and ancient books.

The Heidelberg Project WILL NEVER DIE!

**Sehv313** · December-09-13, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

or it's someone on the inside. I mean at some point that has to be a question right? Either it's an inside job or someone with some pretty intimate knowledge of what is going on there.

So you think its somebody that hates the Heidleberg project so much that they would join the team, promote the cause, paint houses with children all to start a string of house fires? .....sounds like a good CSI episode to me.

**Sehv313** · December-09-13, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by Danny

This is horrible!!! Some firebug must be hired hand from some informant to burn the project down! We have find the firebug before it strikes any home in Detroit.

In this new age, nobody just don't give a ____ about arts and humanities. Nothing's sacred in America anymore. We must our art and restore humanities before the children in the future will see it on the internet and ancient books.

The Heidelberg Project WILL NEVER DIE!

Chill out, It's millions of abandoned houses city wide that you could paint polka dots on & call it art.

Truthfully, I'm sure Guyton realizes that the last few homes on Heidelberg can burn up & I'm sure he would annex the project on another block if necessary. Our city's issues are bigger than just one single Detroit street, all this project does is bring light to them [[Remember the guy painting abandoned houses Orange in Highland Park?). The more you burn the project the greater the motivation it is to continue the cause.

It's not about the block its aout the cause, why not start the Robinwood project near Woodward or a Buena Vista project near Linwood? Those communities need help as well as art.

**bailey** · December-09-13, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by Sehv313

So you think its somebody that hates the Heidleberg project so much that they would join the team, promote the cause, paint houses with children all to start a string of house fires? .....sounds like a good CSI episode to me.

No, I'm saying that someone involved in the project might have decided the project didn't have enough attention/needed a new angle.

nothing pumps up donations like a few acts of malicious vandalism.

OR, it's a neighbor..or someone who was involved with the project...who has an axe to grind and knows when and how they can get away with firebombing a house.

**poobert** · December-09-13, 12:08 PM

In functioning cities with decent services and normal citizens, entire blocks don't get leveled in a month.

Besides that, maybe it's time to let the HP as we know it go anyway. There is other public art to be had. Whenever God closes a door, he opens a dress, or something like that.

**bailey** · December-09-13, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

In functioning cities with decent services and normal citizens, entire blocks don't get leveled in a month.

...well, sure, but entire blocks don't become "art projects" either.

**mkhopper** · December-09-13, 12:34 PM

When [[if) whoever is setting the fires is found, I bet it will turn out to be for no other reason than, "I felt like it."

Some fool out there who got it in their head that burning down just any old normal abandoned was boring and routine. Someone who has so little in their own life that they need to shit on the decent work by others.

Then after the first couple of fires and the media really started paying talking about it, then it became a vehicle for attention and some warped sense of street cred. "Daymn, nigguh, you in the news again..."

**Lowell** · December-09-13, 03:23 PM

Damn! Maybe we need to start a Heidelberg Fires mega thread. Whoever is doing this must be an accomplished arsonist. The houses are totaled and perp[s] vanished even with increased vigilance.

Controversial art has a history of being attacked like attempts to get rid of Diego Rivera murals [accomplished in NYC, tried and failed in Detroit, Bubbas attacking The Fist with white paint and now this.

**Hamtragedy** · December-09-13, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

or it's someone on the inside. I mean at some point that has to be a question right? Either it's an inside job or someone with some pretty intimate knowledge of what is going on there.

I can't imagine after 25 years and international notoriety someone on the inside would burn the projects down. After all, if that was the case, Tyree would have solved the problem of vacant crack houses on his block doing the same. But since arson is illegal and the city wouldn't tear them down.............until he started "decorating them".

Now it just seems to have run out of control. So either the neighbors are just sick of it all, combined with all the the new-fangled spectators who ride their bikes there who happen to be wearing skinny jeans and thick glasses who seem to be "invading"........

**canuck** · December-09-13, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Damn! Maybe we need to start a Heidelberg Fires mega thread. Whoever is doing this must be an accomplished arsonist. The houses are totaled and perp[s] vanished even with increased vigilance.

Controversial art has a history of being attacked like attempts to get rid of Diego Rivera murals [accomplished in NYC, tried and failed in Detroit, Bubbas attacking The Fist with white paint and now this.

Iwas thinking something similar, like maybe someone is secretly filming a Reality SHow series while all this is going on.

**Islandman** · December-10-13, 06:55 AM

I don't know, this is starting to become fishy on both ends. Didn't that fundraiser get them about $12K? You'd think they'd have enough to put some floodlights up triggered by motion detectors if they wanted to save it. We're not talking a large area here. You can get those IR deer cams and at least get someone on camera.

**Meddle** · December-10-13, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by canuck

Iwas thinking something similar, like maybe someone is secretly filming a Reality SHow series while all this is going on.

RHFOD

Real House Fires Of Detroit.

**Meddle** · March-07-14, 07:32 AM

Next up, The Doll House.

The Heidleberg Project's "Doll House" was destroyed by a fire early Friday morning.

We're told the house located on the corner of Mt. Elliot and Elba went up in flames around 3 a.m.

This is the ninth fire to hit the Heidelberg Project since last May.

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detr...cts-doll-house

**Lowell** · March-07-14, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

No, I'm saying that someone involved in the project might have decided the project didn't have enough attention/needed a new angle.

nothing pumps up donations like a few acts of malicious vandalism.

OR, it's a neighbor..or someone who was involved with the project...who has an axe to grind and knows when and how they can get away with firebombing a house.

It seems clear that whoever is doing this is very accomplished both in arson and stealth. The properties are wiped out and the bad guys get away.

I can't see where members of the project would be involved nor how destruction of prominent attractions of the project like the doll house and Soul House would benefit the project. Sympathy dollars are only a short term gain. The long term benefits from foundation support and arts world recognition are where the real money and longevity lie.

So I go with the ax to grind argument.

**sturge** · March-07-14, 10:06 AM

Glad I got to see it when I did.

**bailey** · March-07-14, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

It seems clear that whoever is doing this is very accomplished both in arson and stealth. The properties are wiped out and the bad guys get away.

Is it really that hard to torch an abandoned house in Detroit and not get caught?

**Lowell** · March-07-14, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

Is it really that hard to torch an abandoned house in Detroit and not get caught?

Probably not. But this isn't just any abandoned little house in the urban prairie of Detroit. It is in a high profile situation where allegedly extra vigilance is in place. So we have to award points for stealth in this case.

**gumby** · March-07-14, 02:11 PM

As much as I dislike the Heidelberg Project this is getting ridiculous and is putting people's lives in danger.

**aj3647** · March-07-14, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Controversial art has a history of being attacked like attempts to get rid of Diego Rivera murals [accomplished in NYC, tried and failed in Detroit, Bubbas attacking The Fist with white paint and now this.

So with absolutely no evidence or knowledge of the perp's motives, you just assume that there is some kind of implied racial bias, or at least anti-art? OK then.