Detroit fire chief suggests letting vacant homes burn in response to budget cuts

**Jenna** · 04-24-12, 09:43 PM

The head of the Detroit Fire Department, ordered to cut 15% from his 2012-13 budget, is considering some novel approaches to firefighting and addressing the proliferation of vacant houses in the city.

His more controversial suggestions include:

• Allowing vacant homes that are more than 50% ablaze when firefighters arrive to burn to the ground, as long as no lives are in jeopardy. The approach isn't feasible in high winds or other dangerous conditions, Austin said.

• Asking the U.S. Navy's construction division -- the Seabees -- to raze 10,000 vacant and dilapidated homes.

• Creating a demolition unit in the Fire Department, much like the Tractor Company he created in Los Angeles that cut breaks around wildfires, maintained hillside fire roads and overhauled large industrial fires. Detroit's crew would use heavy equipment to raze the remnants of newly burned buildings, he said.

More here: http://www.freep.com/article/2012042...ant-homes-burn

**keith720** · 04-24-12, 10:16 PM

From what I've seen of Detroit, a few more burned-out, abandoned buildings won't make much difference.

**IMGreat101** · 04-24-12, 11:03 PM

free marshmallows and hot dogs and I am in!

**bayern** · 04-25-12, 10:00 AM

Ah, Urban Renewal. Also, good practice for the FD.

**Ducky** · 04-25-12, 11:00 PM

Forestry management often involves control burns to take out underbrush and allow healthy trees to grow stronger. Same concept?

**bayern** · 04-26-12, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by Ducky

Forestry management often involves control burns to take out underbrush and allow healthy trees to grow stronger. Same concept?

Yup!

**Car 4** · 04-26-12, 02:03 PM

Instead of sending our troops to Ft. Irwin for combat training, we could send them to Detroit......and the artillary troops too.

Car 4

**keith720** · 04-26-12, 04:38 PM

It'll work until the first squatter that's sleeping one off in an abandonded building becomes toast. Then their "concerned family" will come out and sue the city.