Fire & Arson Thread

[Xelebes]

This thread is devoted to buildings that experience a fire and which buildings are being lit on fire. This is a forum about buildings right?

From CBC News:

Ontario teenager charged in arson that leaves 15 families homeless

Fifteen families are homeless after a teenage boy was charged with more than 20 counts of arson in Owen Sound, Ont., according to police.

The 17-year-old boy, from Chatsworth, was arrested after investigators determined the homes were deliberately set on fire overnight Sunday.

The fires have shaken up the community.

. . .

[Franco401]

We're reaching for thread ideas, I see.

[Xelebes]

Nah, I thought it would be interesting to track these kind of events. Which buildings catch fire and such. This site is can be a bit focused on construction but there are some here who are concerned about preservation.

[lio45]

Would be nice to have the highest possible overlap between this thread and this one: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=187464

[MrChills]

Originally Posted by lio45

Would be nice to have the highest possible overlap between this thread and this one: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=187464

That's pretty funny

[SignalHillHiker]

Awesome, Lio.

[lio45]

Speaking of which, it's August now, did that rich guy end up setting his 'Stone Jug' (Carbonear) on fire yet?

A quick Google search didn't yield any results beyond stuff dated April/May saying it might not open this summer as planned, or ever.

[SignalHillHiker]

Nope. Latest news is that it may open. It's gonna be "put use".

[lio45]

That's nice to hear.

(One thing that really, really gets me is bureaucrats putting spokes in the wheels of people willing to restore heritage buildings. And this whole story was a perfect example.)

[leftimage]

Not a recent event, but here's a really close look at how Firefighters in the plateau neighborhood (Montreal) operate.

I happened to be nearby when this fire occurred in 2012. I set my DSLR to video mode and was already filming the action when first responders arrived. I've been told it's pretty awesome and rare footage because i got most of it BEFORE police arrived and cordoned off the scene. Hence why the opening footage is so "in your face".

• Video Link

[TorontoDrew]

Such a depressing thread idea.

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Such a depressing thread idea.

Hey, we have a thread for homicides in the city. . .

[Xelebes]

A cross-section of fires across the country from yesterday and last night:

Fire guts portable at Ecole Frere Antoine in Edmonton: CBC News
Cypress Mountain fire under control. CBC News
Burning mattress pile outside of Winnipeg Apartment building. CBC News
One person hospitalised in home fire in Windsor. CBC News
Incendiary device thrown into home in Esgenoôpetitj First Nation in New Brunswick. CBC News
NWT Highways 5 and 6 are closed due to forest fires CBC News

[drto]

Great thread idea!

Here's a link to a video of a massive fire in Saskatoon from October 1996 that I have always remembered vividly due a fire tornado that formed inside the building and could be seen when one wall of the building collapsed:

Fast forward to the 1:20 mark for the archived fire footage.

http://globalnews.ca/video/1113955/u...s-in-saskatoon

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by Xelebes

Hey, we have a thread for homicides in the city. . .

True, I've posted in it before.

Although a general, "Crime Across Canada", thread would probably cover murder, arson, crime statistics, effects of crime on the fabric of neighborhoods, etc. etc. but their maybe such a thread already present? A place to go for those interested in crime and punishment or the justice system.

[RWin]

I wonder sometimes if we've taken a step back. I use to live in a 50's neighbourhood and in the 9 years I was there, there was maybe 2 or three fires. None of them caused a total loss. All were repairable damage. I'm sure the owners were homeless for a time but the houses were not torn down.

In a new neighbourhood, whenever there is a fire, it seems the approach is to save the neighbours because the house where the fire started is a loss by the time the fire department gets there.

So whats the difference? Construction materials? Construction methods? Response time (my old neighbourhood was fairly close to a fire station)?

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by Cyro

True, I've posted in it before.

Although a general, "Crime Across Canada", thread would probably cover murder, arson, crime statistics, effects of crime on the fabric of neighborhoods, etc. etc. but their maybe such a thread already present? A place to go for those interested in crime and punishment or the justice system.

Perhaps, but this is (almost) less about crime and punishment and more about preservation and safety.

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by RWin

I wonder sometimes if we've taken a step back. I use to live in a 50's neighbourhood and in the 9 years I was there, there was maybe 2 or three fires. None of them caused a total loss. All were repairable damage. I'm sure the owners were homeless for a time but the houses were not torn down.

In a new neighbourhood, whenever there is a fire, it seems the approach is to save the neighbours because the house where the fire started is a loss by the time the fire department gets there.

So whats the difference? Construction materials? Construction methods? Response time (my old neighbourhood was fairly close to a fire station)?

I've noticed that the houses are closer together meaning that it is more likely to catch other buildings on fire. We also need to look at materials. I know the Alberta fire code is still lacking with regards to that. There is a large number of buildings in Alberta which are made with very dangerous materials and I believe some revisions have occured but maybe not enough?

Hopefully some engineers can step in.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by Xelebes

Perhaps, but this is (almost) less about crime and punishment and more about preservation and safety.

To an extent.

Crime affects the preservation of neighborhoods and the safety of citizens, arson being more prevalent in poorer crime stricken areas?

Anyway, I understand the need for new thread creation and the various branches any one topic may create.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by RWin

So whats the difference? Construction materials? Construction methods? Response time (my old neighbourhood was fairly close to a fire station)?

There are so many factors.

It was a struggle for me to get my home insured (which was required by the mortgage). The main insurers here are simply unwilling to cover downtown rowhouses, which are almost universally wooden with felt (highly flammable) roofs, attached with minimal fire proofing between homes, and with oil tanks in their basements instead of outside. My coverage is to average home insurance what Money Mart is to an average bank.

The main priority for fire departments is to protect the greatest number of people possible and, once that's settled, the greatest value of property possible. Letting one house or more burn to focus limited firefighters and equipment on preventing the spread to surrounding homes is often the best choice in certain neighbourhoods.

Here, when there's a fire, they try to prevent it from reaching the basement (BOOM) and from spreading along the highly flammable roofs to other homes.

Here was the last one on my block, for example:

• Video Link