Call 911 - the house next door is on fire.

Well, here is another one from myspace from about a year ago. The sad thing is that someone bought the decrepit house and did not clean the mold and they have children living there. Here's to the spores that will love their nice warm moist lungs!


So, the house next door to me had been vacant for about a year. We had horrible neighbors who did not take care of their property and they liked to park in front of my driveway and block me in - I can't tell you how many times I almost hit their car backing out. We called the police several times while they lived there - we would hear death threat and fighting on Saturday afternoons while outside trying to play with our kids. I think I can count on one hand how many times they mowed the lawn while we were living next door to them. They also had a statue of the Virgin Mary standing in the middle of a whiskey barrel with weeds growing up around it - it was kind of sacreligious. Since the property was so unkempt the city came out and posted a sign about how it had numerous code violations and there would be a hearing. The city ended up cleaning up the outside the October before they fled. I can only image what that must have cost. After they left the FBI came around and were asking questions about them. I can not make this up.

When they left the house, they left the water on. The gas had been shut off, and this is Michigan, so the pipes froze. The day before Easter this past spring, my nieghbor on the other side took his son in law over to show him the backyard - we live on a curve and have abnormally sized and shaped yards - that backyard is HUGE, and he was trying to get him to buy the house. (It also butts up to a trailer park - more on that later...). They looked in the window and the ceiling was on the floor. Literally all over the floor. The pipes had burst and it was a big mess. My neighbor called the city and they came out and turned the water off. The next day he came over to get my husband and show him the mess. (We had all been collectively hoping the people that lived there would move and that we would get normal people to move in - we all tried to get someone we knew to buy the house - not any more!!) He was shocked - and it takes A LOT to shock him. So this became our new thing to chat about - and collectively hope that the house would just be condemned because we would all rather look at an empty lot than that shit hole. Our street is nice - everyone takes care of their yards and houses. This is the only one that does not. After several calls complaining to the city, they now come out every other week and mow the lawn, and a bank has bought the house from the County Sherrif who siezed the house back in December. The bank has cleaned up the inside (except for the black mold growing on the walls)..not that it matters anymore!

So, my husband was getting ready to take the kids to visit his parents, and I was getting their shoes out of the front closed. I smelled smoke, but didn't think much of it because I was really tired - I worked twelve hour midnigts last night and was busy. My husband had seen the smoke and ran outside because he was worried it was one of the cars. He ran in and told me to call 911 because the house next door was on fire. I did, and then I ran outside. Sure enough there was grey smoke everywhere. We waitied for the fire department to arrive. Not two minutes later three boys ages 8 - 11 maybe came running out from the backyard. One of them was holding a big stick with a point on the end and a what looked to be a rusted or charred coffee can. They told us that the fire was on the stairs and they they had put it out. (I suppose they got the water from the foot of standing mold water in the basement since there is none running to the house). Something wasn't right. One of them did all the talking - he changed his story a few times before every one arrived on the scene. Now, I hate to stereo type, but when it is this easy...they looked like they came from the trailer park. They were all dirty. The one had a ratty mowhawk that descended into a tail at the nape of his neck. The talker told me at one point they were playing golf with very old clubs - five year old clubs - and that when they saw the fire start they were so overcome that they broke a few of them. They also told us that they saw a man in a red baseball hat walking away, which was funny because my husband had been out side right before it started and didn't see anyone. I told them they had no business running into a buring building and that they should have gotten an adult and called 911. Did I mention the look of terror on all of their faces when they saw us standing in our driveway with phones in hand? Oh yeah - scared shitless. (The talker's voice sounded really high pitched like someone who is seriously backtracking). The talker told me that if you ever catch on fire to remember to stop drop and roll. Thank God he payed attention during "Fire Safety Week", eh?

We heard the sirens getting closer and the boys said they had to go put their bucket away - I didn't think they would come back, but just as the FOUR firetrucks, six cop cars and numerous fire department vehicles pulled up, they came out of the backyard again - probably because we knew what they looked like and they probably thought that I was buying their Good Samaritain story. My husband went directly to the nearest police officer and told him about the boys. The boys went nowhere after that - that is without a police escort. It was like having "COPS" live in front of my house. We sat on the porch and watched - my husband made a sandwich.

Sure enough, the coffee can was not enough to extinguish the fire and the house was still smoking when the first fireman busted the door open with an axe - I think that was one of my favorite parts. They rallied and overcame the blaze. Two arson investigators arrived and there is now a mobile laboratory sitting in the driveway next door.

It took about an hour and a half, but the excitement started to subside...neighbors went back to their homes (however, everyone is out mowing their lawns). One of the police officers approached us after they had separated the boys and questioned them all individually. They also got a lecture as they sat on the sidewalk waiting to see what would come their way next. The officer that came up to us said that they changed their stories with them too, and they were just waiting for their parents to arrive so they could take them to the station for more questioning.

OK, now this is my favorite part. The parents of the boys that were brothers arrived. (The boys were being put in the squad car). They were in a ratty old child moletser looking van. The dad had a stars and stripes doo rag on his head, high tops, 20 year old shorts and NO SHIRT ON. (Hello, trailer park, "COPS"). The mother looked like she passed out on a bar last night with a cigarette stuck to her bottom lip and when her cell phone rang telling her that her boys were under arrest, it woke her up. The cigarette was still attached to her lip --she didn't even put her smoke out when she got out of the molstermobile. She looked rough. Total trailer trash. It was so amazing I couldn't believe it was unfolding RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE!!!

So three and a half hours later, the fire department is still investigating for signs of arson and damage (though I don't know how much worse that house could be) . I am sure all of the boys need clean drawers, and I want to go over there and look around so bad I could die!!