And while the politics was red-hot at the City Center yesterday, there was a fire on Freetown Road. It was at an old disused wooden home, which oddly sat right beside another similar home that burned down some time ago. And the really strange thing is that both houses were used for the same illicit purpose. Here’s more with Fire Chief Ted Smith.
Ted Smith, Fire Chief
“Basically the response was first to confine the fire. This fire was already in an open stage, free burning phase. Therefore confinement, contain the fire from protecting the exposure becomes rule number one because you cannot confine what is already exposed so the strategy was protect the exposure, that was well implemented and thereafter extinguished.”
Jules Vasquez,
Unoccupied buildings like this which are often used for crack smoking, that is the bottom line, are those threats hazards to communities?
Ted Smith,
“I don’t know the statistics of those kind of things so I will not be able to comment to that extent.”
Jules Vasquez,
But wherever there are abandoned wooden buildings which are not being used for any gainful or residential purpose should they be demolished, eliminated, rehabilitated?
Ted Smith,
“That depends upon the fire risk involved. Fire risk cannot come just by being abandoned. Fire risk has to do with ignition source and availability of that source whether it be people smoking crack, cigarette, lighting candles, faulty electrical lines in the structure.”
The building was not insured.
