April 8th, 2008

In an odd story of saving money, a New York fire department and two homeowners are being fined for violations regarding a burned down house. A report stated that asbestos was released during the controlled burn.

Normally, a training exercise for a fire department involving a controlled burn is not a situation to cause much disapproval. But when the fire department involved is not within their district, and the owners of the burnt home were trying to save money, fines and violations will follow. A report is alleging that two homeowners in New York paid a local fire department to burn down their house. The fire department involved, however, was not within their district and controlled burns are not legal in the area.

The report also stated that the homeowners contracted the fire department for the controlled burn to get rid of an existing house in order to make way for a new one. The fire released asbestos into the surrounding area, and the materials left behind were not properly disposed. If the house had been legally demolished, asbestos would have had to been removed first, making the total bill for demolition around $20,000. Disturbing asbestos can create a health concern, since airborne asbestos has been linked to mesothelioma, asbestosis and emphysema.