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Gary Indiana is in flames, dozens of fires

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
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.




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.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
One source is claiming at least 18 structures involved. At least 12 separate fires. Fire departments from around the county responded.
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
Probably just May day - a peaceful day of celebration. At least around here that's what the local media say all the antifa started fires are.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Probably just May day - a peaceful day of celebration. At least around here that's what the local media say all the antifa started fires are.
I don't think so here. Just not a big thing for us in Indiana. Pacific Northwest celebrates communism. Not so much Indiana, even in liberal cities
 

CrakHoBarbie

Active member
Seriously?
Until just now I was unaware that In 1889, May Day was chosen as the date for International Workers' Day by the Socialists and Communists of the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket affair in Chicago. As I said, I thought it was an ancient festival marking the first of May.
 

Roofgardener

Active member
Until just now I was unaware that In 1889, May Day was chosen as the date for International Workers' Day by the Socialists and Communists of the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket affair in Chicago. As I said, I thought it was an ancient festival marking the first of May.
It was. The Communists hijacked and replaced it, in the hope that people wouldn't object if it was already an established holiday. (A bit like the Christians hijacked Saturnalia and called it Christmas).
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
No news.

There were a bunch last month too. All similar to is event except spread out over several days.

For almost all these homes (perhaps all?) they are vacant and abandoned blighted properties. The city has been delaying -lack of budget- tearing them down. Most/all are probably tax delinquent and owned by the government. As the properties go vacant drug dealers break in, re-key the locks, and use them as drug houses. They are used for drug dealing and also for taking drugs.

No clue if a "good neighbor" decided to clean up the neighborhoods or if some arsonist is getting his rocks off by setting fires.
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
In my county we have an arsonist who has burnt over 30 structures and not gotten caught.
All of the structures were run down and deserted properties, old farm sites and out buildings.
Some one is cleaning up the county one step at a time. LEO are unable to determine who
might be doing it. This person has been doing so for many years.
Gary Indiana could have some one like that. They do exist.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
In my county we have an arsonist who has burnt over 30 structures and not gotten caught.
All of the structures were run down and deserted properties, old farm sites and out buildings.
Some one is cleaning up the county one step at a time. LEO are unable to determine who
might be doing it. This person has been doing so for many years.
Gary Indiana could have some one like that. They do exist.
This is what I have in the back of my mind.

Gary used to be a beautiful city.

It is now scary to drive through wide swaths of the city. There are some areas that are doing OK. The Miller Beach community is a small enclave within the city that has nicely kept homes, low crime, etc. But in many other areas its block after block of violence and blight. The business districts are simply graffiti painted old buildings. Lots of crime. Lots of despair.
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
So if these are all crappy old neglected properties ... is this actually a bad thing (other than the obvious danger of fires)?
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Honestly burning them, in some ways, is a service to the community.

It is faster than demolition, which takes, on average, a decade or more to get done.

It is cheap, although there is obviously cost to the fire department.

Apparently it is -- at least so far -- safe as nobody was killed in any of these fires. Apparently the arsonist is careful to make sure that the properties are vacant when set ablaze. None of the firefighters have been reported to be injured either.
 
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