Arson complicates city’s efforts to deal with blighted areas
By Marissa Medansky, The Blade, Toledo, Ohio | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The lawn is scattered with pieces of charred furniture. A Bible is open on the sidewalk, pages scorched, with broken glass above.
The damage was the work of an arsonist during the
"I think it's a total loss," said neighbor
Now all he he can do is wait for city authorities to tear down the property so that someone might access the land.
"My hands are tied," he said of his situation. "I don't know what to do."
The fire at 921 Booth was one of 12 structure fires that took place over the
The remaining six cases are still under investigation, including one fire at 723 S. Erie, which jumped to the adjacent home. That property, like 921 Booth and the other confirmed arson target,
Vacant building fires constitute only a small percentage of structure fires overall. But they are more likely to involve arson, according to a report from the
Structure fires in vacant buildings are also more likely to occur during
Still, Lieutenant Hertzfeld cautioned against drawing too many conclusions from just a weekend's worth of data, noting that the dozen-home work load was "not uncommon" for the department. Spikes in calls for service don't necessarily indicate a trend, he said.
"Everybody wants to look for a pattern, but you really can't in this business," he said.
Meanwhile, who tears down a damaged house isn't a matter of black and white. It depends on ownership and insurance, Lieutenant Hertzfeld said.
And vacancies can complicate that process.
How quickly the city can demolish a property depends on a number of factors, said
But buildings with less-severe damage aren't expedited through the demolition pipeline,
Buildings that fail to meet the city's code of inspection can be either demolished or repaired, depending on their condition. In the case of vacancies, the city must locate a responsible party before proceeding with demolition. Issues of ownership can slow that process down.
If a property is owned by a corporation, a responsible individual needs to be identified before the city can proceed. If the property changes hands during the process, city officials must start over.
The city funds demolitions in concert with the
Which buildings are demolished depends on a number of factors, Ms. Geronimo said, including "input from residents."
For now, though, 921 Booth still stands, along with structures like it.
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