Arson in West Central

A little update on this story: not one, but two houses heavily destroyed on the 1300 block of Jackson Street in West Central, and a third was apparently next to go. In other words, nobody doubts arson was the cause. (Photos here, and video here.)

The first house started about 5:00AM, and by the time I got out there at 6:45AM, it was completely destroyed, and only one of many firetrucks remained. Problem was, the firemen looked across the street and noticed smoke coming from a second, non-adjacent house and promptly called in another fire, to which many more trucks and ancillary vehicles returned. A few minutes after that, somebody noticed a broken picture window in yet another house back across the street from the second burning house, inside of which the police found a full gas can. Police investigators removed the window and other contents, I assume, for investigative purposes.



Both the damaged houses were vacant. And of course, therein lies much of the problem. Those inclined toward this type of activity know the easiest targets, and in this case made easy work of them. Empty houses are a train wreck waiting to happen. The southern portion of West Central has far too many vacant houses. We've got to get them occupied again, and fast, before more are lost forever.