Various reports coming out but dozens of VACANT homes were set a blaze last night in the city of Gary. Once a lakefront showcase city, Gary is largely impoverished and much of the business and industrial sector that supported the city is closed.
While I’m hearing a few commercial properties (likely vacant?) were burned, it seems like homes were the target. Vacant homes.
One has to wonder if this is a frustrated, but generally honest, individual who is trying to clean up his city by removing delapidated structures that seem to be favored as crack houses and for drug deals? Maybe it was just arson for the sake of arson? Maybe to cover over a crime scene? But I would not be surprised if someone was cleaning up the city, which had pledged to tear down abandoned drug home but, has delayed doing so for YEARS. Frustrated resident tired of watching criminals move freely? Just a theory but it would not surprise me.
Overnight dozens of buildings were on fire in a hour time frame across Gary prompting departments from across Lake & Porter County to respond for mutual aid.
This video shows a dozen different homes burning as crews scramble to get to each scene. At one point there was 7 homes ablaze in an 8 block area. It appears at this time most of these destroyed structures appeared vacant however with the strong winds neighboring occupied structures were catching on fire. It is suspected at this time one or more individuals started these fires. RNS has not heard of any injuries from the fires as of 5 AM.
While I’m hearing a few commercial properties (likely vacant?) were burned, it seems like homes were the target. Vacant homes.
One has to wonder if this is a frustrated, but generally honest, individual who is trying to clean up his city by removing delapidated structures that seem to be favored as crack houses and for drug deals? Maybe it was just arson for the sake of arson? Maybe to cover over a crime scene? But I would not be surprised if someone was cleaning up the city, which had pledged to tear down abandoned drug home but, has delayed doing so for YEARS. Frustrated resident tired of watching criminals move freely? Just a theory but it would not surprise me.
Region News Source
44m ·Overnight dozens of buildings were on fire in a hour time frame across Gary prompting departments from across Lake & Porter County to respond for mutual aid.
This video shows a dozen different homes burning as crews scramble to get to each scene. At one point there was 7 homes ablaze in an 8 block area. It appears at this time most of these destroyed structures appeared vacant however with the strong winds neighboring occupied structures were catching on fire. It is suspected at this time one or more individuals started these fires. RNS has not heard of any injuries from the fires as of 5 AM.