Another "Mysterious" Fire in Springfield

aubureck · June 25, 2010, 10:33:49 AM

I can't seem to post pictures at the moment for some reason but there was a fire Wednesday night/Thursday morning at 1721 North Ionia Street. The structure is a total loss. It is my understanding the structure was vacant.

jbroadglide · June 25, 2010, 10:50:06 AM

City posted a 72 hour notice on it and its scheduled for Emergency Demolition.

nvrenuf · June 25, 2010, 11:47:54 AM

Way too many fires on Ionia lately.

KuroiKetsunoHana · June 25, 2010, 02:00:02 PM

for once, never, i agree with you. the more conspiracy-theory-leaning part ov my brain figures SPAR wants to burn out ionia and build all-new houses to create a well-defined line between 'their' springfield and the wild back country that they'd have you believe is safe for no man.

in al probability, though, it's just som unscupulous landlords who've decided insurance money's less work than upkeep for rent money.

soxfan · June 26, 2010, 08:46:20 AM

This house was burned a couple of weeks ago. It was struck by lightningthe day that there was like 5 fires from lightning around the city. It was reported in the news as being on Walnut Court. Walnut Court is behind the houses across the street from this house.. I don't believe that it was vacant either. A couple of my friends own it, and to my recollection it was occupied by a renter or at least it has been for the last few years. There indeed has been way too many fires on Ionia and especially in this area of Ionia.. There were stories going around about a couple that own the properties in this area that have had a nasty split and everytime they get into a spat one of their properties burns. Don't know if there's any truth to it, but I wish they'd stop fighting or sell them.

soxfan · July 24, 2010, 02:43:33 PM

The house to the right of this one burned last night around 11. It looks like it was started in the back of the house. People were still living there. I heard that they were sitting on the front porch when it started. They are moving their stuff that survived out this a.m.. This is getting crazy over here. there is only one house left on that corner now..

Timkin · July 24, 2010, 04:00:22 PM

Weird turn of events for that area. Too many mysterious fires , coupled with a lightning strike.

soxfan · July 24, 2010, 05:30:57 PM

The people that were living in the house are saying that is definitely arson... I'm no arson expert, but I did notice that the house has gas appliances, OLD gas appliances. The fire dept. pulled the stove out into the yard and it seems like it's just the back part of the house that burned. I don't know for sure if this was the kitchen area, but it seemed like it when I was looking at it this morning. I just have a hard time believing that someone deliberately set this house on fire while the occupants were sitting on the front porch. Maybe that's just me being naive, and I know that people have done much worse things to people.. If it was an arson, then why would the fire dept. pull the stove out into the yard?? The gas shut offs are in the front of the house, so it's not like the stove was a threat to explode or anything.. They had to disconnect the stove from the gas lines to remove it from the house. This seems like more of an explosion risk than to leave it there and keep the residual gas in the pipes. Either way, it really doesn't matter, another historic home is gone..

sheclown · July 24, 2010, 05:31:41 PM

I saw the house today. Looks like it was started in the back

Timkin · July 24, 2010, 05:52:16 PM

Quote from: soxfan on July 24, 2010, 05:30:57 PM
The people that were living in the house are saying that is definitely arson... I'm no arson expert, but I did notice that the house has gas appliances, OLD gas appliances. The fire dept. pulled the stove out into the yard and it seems like it's just the back part of the house that burned. I don't know for sure if this was the kitchen area, but it seemed like it when I was looking at it this morning. I just have a hard time believing that someone deliberately set this house on fire while the occupants were sitting on the front porch. Maybe that's just me being naive, and I know that people have done much worse things to people.. If it was an arson, then why would the fire dept. pull the stove out into the yard?? The gas shut offs are in the front of the house, so it's not like the stove was a threat to explode or anything.. They had to disconnect the stove from the gas lines to remove it from the house. This seems like more of an explosion risk than to leave it there and keep the residual gas in the pipes. Either way, it really doesn't matter, another historic home is gone..

If they pulled the stove out, there was probably something about it that was faulty. but gas , I would think , would cause more than simply a fire. I would think there would have been an explosion. Also .. If the people there failed to mention there was a deep fat fryer on the lit stove which can do a lot of fire damage in very little time, this also is a possibility.. Either way as has been stated the house is a loss . too bad .

iloveionia · July 24, 2010, 06:50:44 PM

this is the 5th house that has burned owned by the SAME person on the same corner/block in the last 1-2 years.
suspicious enough for you?

AmyLynne · July 24, 2010, 07:22:43 PM

Quote from: iloveionia on July 24, 2010, 06:50:44 PM
this is the 5th house that has burned owned by the SAME person on the same corner/block in the last 1-2 years.
suspicious enough for you?

They were all owned by the same person???

That does seem a tad suspicious!!!

Debbie Thompson · July 24, 2010, 08:03:10 PM

I heard there was a fire in the kitchen. Is it only the back, or is the house a total loss?

billy · July 24, 2010, 08:19:23 PM

drove by it

soxfan · July 24, 2010, 08:51:35 PM

Quote from: iloveionia on July 24, 2010, 06:50:44 PM
this is the 5th house that has burned owned by the SAME person on the same corner/block in the last 1-2 years.
suspicious enough for you?

Nic, I'm not saying that it's not suspicious. It totally is. I'm just saying that with the stove pulled out into the yard, that I wouldn't automatically jump on the arson bandwagon just yet. Yes, I know that the same guy owned all of these houses and it was posted somewhere about this also. I remember either reading or posting about the story about the owner and his wife splitting up and everytime they get into an argument, one of their properties burns.. That is the rumor in this neck of the woods. I DO think it's suspisious, but because of others in the neighborhood who have had to deal with their own untrue arson rumors, I'll wait on calling it arson until an expert says it's arson..