House Fire on Walnut in Springfield

[hanjin1]

Looks like another house fire in Springfield. I heard the trucks this morning but didn't know if it was an actual fire or not. I guess I know now.

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2010-07-02/story/unoccupied-springfield-home-catches-fire

[77danj7]

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2010-07-02/story/unoccupied-springfield-home-catches-fire

An unoccupied Springfield home caught fire Friday morning, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department said.

Battalion Chief Darrell Holsenbeck said firefighters were called to 1730 Walnut St. about 6:50 a.m.

He said the fire was in the back of the house between the first and second floors and added that the home was unlocked.

Holsenbeck did not have a preliminary cause and said the investigator has yet to make a determination.

Neighbors in the area said fires and other crimes have been problematic.

Joseph Former of the 1700 block of Ionia Street said he suffered burns to his arms in a March 2009 fire that was set to his home.

Another neighbor, Bill Jacobs of 1740 Walnut St., said someone had broken into the house at 1730 and stolen a washer and dryer last week.

He said he has been trying to figure out which bank is in charge of the home, which has a for sale sign in the yard. The last known owner had moved to Mexico about six months ago, he said.

"This is not the kind of neighborhood revitalization I had in mind when I moved here," Jacobs said.

Former called Springfield "the Dodge City of Jacksonville."

There had been another house fire three weeks ago about a block away from this morning's

Another one...these definitely are picking up again.

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

it's really getting quite ridiculous.  i've always hated the idea ov vigilante 'justice', but maybe we need to put some dude with a shotgun on a circuit ov ionia and walnut.

[jbroadglide]

Fire dept says it was an accidental electrical fire..

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

that's weird--the cops've been watching that place for a couple days now, so i'd figured they expected someöne would try to burn it.

also:  why was the electricity still on in there?

[Springfielder]

It's to my understanding that all of the utilities were left on, when the owners abandoned the house.

[buckethead]

It's to my understanding that all of the utilities were left on, when the owners abandoned the house.

Wow! I guess paying the electric bill is a non-issue as long as you don't live at the residence?

[CS Foltz]

Another classic example of the City cutting expenses and getting on top of the budget deficiet! Why leave the power on when the house is abandoned? If someone were living there and not paying, that plug would have pulled long ago! City has no common sense what so ever and this situation proves it beyound doubt! Why is there no guidelines or criteria to control this? JEA is just as stupid as JTA , both agencies appear to be infected with stupidity from the top on down!

[Joe]

http://www.jea.com/about/people/index.asp
Contact the JEA board with complaints.

[CS Foltz]

Joe............I would agree with you except for one small detail! If JSO had the house under observation, they knew it was not habitated and if any property is abandoned it should be madatory to cut power and water off period! It is a matter of public safety and whose job is that? Neighbors could have complained and they may have, I don't know! All I know is a fire took place, ignition point was in the back between floors and power should have been off! You don't pay your power bill, see what happens and it does not take long! Someone dropped the ball here big time!

[Springfielder]

I've since heard that the owners had contacted JEA for disconnect....so at this point, there's conflicting sides of the story going around....who knows what the real story is, but the sad part is, that there was another fire in an empty house



edit: typo corrected

[hanjin1]

I actually posted this in the myspringfield board, but it looks like it got deleted by the mods because there were some "fightin words" going on between the owners and some springfield residents. Anyways the actual owners posted that they did not abandon the house and had to leave because of medical reasonings. also they said that they told jea to turn the utilities off, but jea did not follow through with this.

[Springfielder]

You're right, there were some pretty nasty and heated posts and I'm not surprised at all, the thread was removed. It's a shame that people can't discuss issues without making it a personal attack upon one another