Ionia House fire

[02roadking]

This last pic was taken after the pics were taken from the front of the house.

[JaxResident]

Was this an occupied property? I hope no one was hurt.

[02roadking]

I was told it wasn't

[JaxResident]

Frustrating.

Now another property that will need to be razed. I hope this doesn't create any negative effect on the work SOS Preservation has been doing to prevent demolition of structures in Springfield.

They are working so hard to make a difference and save historic Springfield.

[Springfielder]

It was empty, although I was told this evening by a neighbor across the street that he's seen signs of someone staying in it. The house had no power/utilities. It's a loss, the back was fully engulfed  

[Springfielder]

Frustrating.

Now another property that will need to be razed. I hope this doesn't create any negative effect on the work SOS Preservation has been doing to prevent demolition of structures in Springfield.

They are working so hard to make a difference and save historic Springfield.

This will stop our efforts, it's just not having the resources (or neighbors) letting others know that it's been opened and possibly had someone staying in it.

[JaxResident]

I would guess that if it had no electricity, the fire may have been started by someone making a small fire to cook with or for heat....

A dropped cigarette or forgotten lit cigarette could have started it too.

Most unfortunate to have had this happen.

[Springfielder]

This is the house, taken by google a few years ago
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1634+Ionia+Street,+Jacksonville,+FL&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=50.157795,114.169922&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1634+Ionia+St,+Jacksonville,+Duval,+Florida+32206&ll=30.343204,-81.646485&spn=0.006731,0.013937&z=17&layer=c&cbll=30.343307,-81.646477&panoid=5gfFU42osnW9riY3r7N8pA&cbp=12,275.96,,0,-1.3

[JaxResident]

This house is two doors over from 1626 Ionia, where the great folks from SOS preservation and their wonderful team and allies from the city have been working so hard to save from being demo'd. The house right next door to 1626 is also burned out and needs to come down...with most of the fire damage on the backside of the house....

[iloveionia]

Sigh.
No, this will not impede our efforts. 
Unfortunately there is an arsonist running free on the streets of Springfield. 
This is the 8th fire on this street and neighboring 7th Street in a very short amount of time. 
Sorry, too suspicious.

Springfielder brings up an important point.  Contacting owners, boarding, securing, and monitoring our properties is extremely important.  Communicating that a home has squatters, or is unsecured is important as well. 

We are losing too many homes.  This particular block is in dire straits.  Hence why we worked with the owner of 1626 Ionia to board and secure the property.

This fire is validation of why mothballing is so important to saving our homes.

I am sorry for this home.  I saw a picture of the home when it was in better shape about 8 years ago.  She was beautiful.   

[JaxResident]

Absolutely.

If a property is boarded and secured, and neighbors notice and know for a fact that squatters are in the property, they need to call JSO. The people entering these properties are trespassing.

I would suspect if you are correct on the number of fires happening, then it could be the work of an arsonist.

Really sad that some person is trying to damage the community, not to mention endangering the lives of others.

[uptowngirl]

I think this one may have been different from the other fires. I checked this house out about a month ago and it was obvious there were squatters living in it. The back of the house was filled with so much clothing, blankets, and crap it was almost to the ceiling, there was also a giant four foot high home made wax candle in the back. I turned it in once, but not again as usually that means they just tear it down :-(

[iloveionia]

Absolutely.

If a property is boarded and secured, and neighbors notice and know for a fact that squatters are in the property, they need to call JSO. The people entering these properties are trespassing.

I would suspect if you are correct on the number of fires happening, then it could be the work of an arsonist.

Really sad that some person is trying to damage the community, not to mention endangering the lives of others.

The property adjacent was set on fire twice and is absolutey missing a roof.  No rafters, completely caved in.  Kimberly Scott stated to me on Friday that is was to come down this week on an emergency demolition. Again the adjacent property to this one. 

This could have been avoided had the property been properly boarded, secured, AND monitored when it was initially vacated.  We need proactivness, not reactivemess.  We need neighbors to be the guardians of our vacant and at risk homes.

[thekillingwax]

I think there's another fire on Ionia going on right now. Looks pretty big, flames and smoke were visible from the 1800 block on Walnut.

[iloveionia]

Yes.  Unfortunately.  Folks, this is not a coincidence. I understand it to be 1721 Ionia, the same house that was torched at the beginning of the summer.