Vacant House in Lexington Damaged by Fire
Another Home Lost: Continuation of a Worrying Trend
Lexington, KY – A new day in Lexington dawned with a disturbing sight—another local house was reduced to ashes by a fire on Thursday morning. As with several other properties that have caught fire in recent months, the house on Wanstead Way was unoccupied, marking the continuation of an alarming pattern.
The fire-damaged residence appears to be a total loss, according to fire officials. This incident follows a series of similar happenings within the last months, where homes on Lacy Lane, Chatham Drive, and Marlena Lane were also severely damaged or destroyed by fires. Three houses on Marlena were currently under construction when the fires happened, and five of the six burned homes were vacant during the outbreak of the blazes.
A Rising Concern for Fire Officials
When dwellings undergoing renovations or construction catch fire, local fire officials are put on high alert. “Anytime something occurs in a home where there’s remodeling, something like that, it’ll alert us there’s something going on in the home that it’s not in its normal state,” stated Battalion Chief Derek Roberts from the Lexington Fire Department.
Construction and remodeling activities like painting often require temporary removal of smoke detectors or flipping of breakers, potentially exposing underlying wiring problems or causing short circuits.
Chief Roberts, however, clarified that each fire is treated as an isolated incident until proven otherwise. Each fire adheres to its own investigation process, irrespective of the similarities with other cases.
Are These Fires Purely Coincidental?
The confluence of fires in vacant homes could be purely coincidental or accidental. It is important to note that the investigations are still ongoing and are looking into all possible reasons, including squatting, particularly during winter months when homeless people seek warmth and shelter in these unoccupied buildings.
Since the preliminary investigations are yet to reach concrete conclusions, they can’t rule out the possibility of these fires being unintentionally caused. Roberts mentioned that they would retrace steps and intensify the probe if multiple incidents appeared suspicious, but currently, the focus is on finding out why there was a fire in each individual house. Until the official reports state otherwise, Roberts stated, “the cause is still to be determined.”
Priority Remains Safety
Despite the growing concern over the fires’ potential causes, the Fire Department continues to prioritize safety. Chief Roberts emphasized the department’s policy of treating every house fire as if it were occupied until crews can confirm with certainty that no person or animal was inside at the time of the blaze.
