Vacant properties pose risk to neighbors, Louisville Fire Department says

THE CHARRED PIECES LEFT BEHIND THE LEAVE A FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS VACANT PROPERTIES POSE A RISK ACROSS THE CITY. FIREFIGHTERS HAVE RESPONDED TO THREE FIRES AT ABANDONED HOUSES IN LESS THAN A WEEK. WLKY MADELINE CARTER TAKES US THROUGH ONE HOUSE THAT WAS DAMAGED IN THE PORTLAND NEIGHBORHOOD. A MAN IS NOW GONE. THIS IS WHAT’S LEFT OF ASHANTI. HARRISON’S HOME EVEN GOT ON FIRE. THERE’S EVEN A BURN. HE’S SORTING THROUGH DEBRIS AT HIS HOUSE ON SLEVIN STREET. JUST DAYS AFTER FLAMES ERUPTED IN THE VACANT HOUSE NEXT. LOSING EVERYTHING UNEXPECTED. IT PUTS YOU IN A SITUATION WHERE MY FIANCE AND MY FAMILY, WE’RE TRYING TO STAY STRONG AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD WITH THE FIRE STARTED AT THIS HOME EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. IT DESTROYED ONE HOUSE AND DAMAGED THREE. OTHERS INCLUDE ING HARRISON’S. IT’S HEARTBREAKING. WHILE HARRISON’S HOME IS FULL OF DEBRIS, THIS IS NOT WHERE THE FIRE STARTED. IT STARTED JUST FEET AWAY AT THIS VACANT HOUSE NEXT DOOR. THE LOUISVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT TELLS ME FIRES AT VACANT BUILDINGS LIKE THIS ARE PUTTING NEIGHBORS IN DANGER ACROSS THE METRO. IF YOU’RE LIVING NEXT DOOR TO A VACANT PROPERTY, THEN STATISTICS SHOW THAT YOU’RE AT MORE RISK. YOUR PROPERTIES HAVE MORE RISK AND GREATER RISK OF FIRE DAMAGE FROM THAT FIRE. MAJOR BOBBY COOPER SAYS THE SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2020 AND SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2022, THE LOUISVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO NEARLY 200 FIRES AT VACANT BUILDINGS. VACANT PROPERTIES POSE DIFFERENT KINDS OF RISKS AND THREATS AND CHALLENGES FOR FIREFIGHTERS, FIREFIGHTERS AND FIREFIGHTING THAT OPERATIONS. THE MOST RECENT HAPPENED MONDAY MORNING ON BOLLING AVENUE IN PARK HILL. FIREFIGHTERS ALSO RESPONDED TO AN EMPTY HOUSE ON FRANKFORT AVENUE LAST WEDNESDAY, THE SAME DAY AS THE FIRE ON SEVENTH STREET. WHILE NO ONE WAS HURT IN ANY OF THE THREE VACANT HOUSE FIRES NEXT DOOR, NEIGHBORS LIKE HARRISON ARE LEFT DIGGING THROUGH CHARRED BITS AND PIECES. I’M READY TO JUST REBUILD AND MOVE ON WITH MY LIFE IN THE PORTLAND NEIGHBORHOOD. MADELI

A Louisville man is sorting through charred bits and pieces at his home on Slevin Street, days after flames erupted at a vacant house next door.Ashanti Harrison has rented his house in the Portland neighborhood for two years and never expected to lose everything."It's heartbreaking," he said while digging through debris.The fire started early Wednesday morning, destroying the vacant house and damaging three neighboring homes, including Harrison's.Since then, the Louisville Fire Department has responded to two other fires at vacant buildings.Hours after the fire on Slevin Street, firefighters were called out to a fire at an empty house on Frankfort Avenue. Then, on Monday morning, they responded to another fire at a vacant house on Bolling Avenue in Park Hill.While no one was hurt in any of the fires, the Louisville Fire Department told WLKY vacant properties pose a risk to neighbors across the Metro.According to Maj. Bobby Cooper, between Sept. 1, 2020, and Sept. 1, 2022, firefighters responded to nearly 200 fires at vacant buildings.Cooper said people who live next to vacant properties should be on the lookout.Anyone who believes they are in danger should call 911, or dial 311 to report the property. Doing so could help prevent a fire and resulting damage to neighbors.Harrison is staying at a hotel while he attempts to put his home back together."I'm ready to just rebuild and move on with my life," he said.Harrison's fiancée has set up a GoFundMe to help with the cost of repairs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

A Louisville man is sorting through charred bits and pieces at his home on Slevin Street, days after flames erupted at a vacant house next door.

WLKY News

Ashanti Harrison has rented his house in the Portland neighborhood for two years and never expected to lose everything.

"It's heartbreaking," he said while digging through debris.

WLKY News

The fire started early Wednesday morning, destroying the vacant house and damaging three neighboring homes, including Harrison's.

Since then, the Louisville Fire Department has responded to two other fires at vacant buildings.

Hours after the fire on Slevin Street, firefighters were called out to a fire at an empty house on Frankfort Avenue. Then, on Monday morning, they responded to another fire at a vacant house on Bolling Avenue in Park Hill.

While no one was hurt in any of the fires, the Louisville Fire Department told WLKY vacant properties pose a risk to neighbors across the Metro.

According to Maj. Bobby Cooper, between Sept. 1, 2020, and Sept. 1, 2022, firefighters responded to nearly 200 fires at vacant buildings.

Cooper said people who live next to vacant properties should be on the lookout.

Anyone who believes they are in danger should call 911, or dial 311 to report the property. Doing so could help prevent a fire and resulting damage to neighbors.

Harrison is staying at a hotel while he attempts to put his home back together.

"I'm ready to just rebuild and move on with my life," he said.

Harrison's fiancée has set up a GoFundMe to help with the cost of repairs.

Vacant properties pose risk to neighbors, Louisville Fire Department says

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