Shawnee moves to condemn house where firefighter died Shawnee is moving toward condemning the house where a Shawnee firefighter died on duty. Five months have passed since the fire, but the house at 13408 W. 75th Court remains boarded-up and roofless, with torn tarps flapping in the wind. The house is now up for sale - "as is."
However, inspectors have deemed it to be a dangerous structure, setting the process in motion for the city to mandate abatement. On Monday, the city council set a public hearing on the matter for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at City Hall. Involved parties may speak to why the structure should or should not be condemned and ordered to be repaired or demolished. According to an online listing, the owner is asking $110,000 for the largely gutted four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom house, which is sandwiched between other homes valued between $400,000 and $500,000. "Home partially destroyed by fire," the listing states. "Owner will not rebuild." Firefighter John Glaser died May 22 while searching the burning house for residents initially thought to be inside. Investigation revealed that Glaser removed his breathing apparatus after vomiting inside it and was overcome by smoke and fumes. Investigators determined the accidental fire started with an appliance in the garage. According to a memo from chief codes administrator Steve Thompson, partial demolition and cleanup started shortly after the fire investigation. workers removed the damaged roof and ceiling framing and replaced it with temporary supports and tarps. They secured or boarded exterior doors and windows and posted "No Trespassing" signs. A July inspection revealed that the house's exterior walls, no longer braced at the top, are improperly supported, creating an unsafe condition, according to Thompson's memo. The tarps are damaged and no longer protect the structure. City staff estimated it would cost $20,000 to $30,000 to tear down the house. If the city arranges for demolition, it would require reimbursement from the owner or place a lien on the property. Council members said they wished the abatement process could move more quickly. "We need to put this to bed," Council member Jim Neighbors said. However, Thompson said the city still was waiting for results of a title search and that the abatement process also required a series of notices published in the newspaper, a process that takes time. FRANK J. HERRICK CITY OF LEAWOOD FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF THE FIRE MARSHAL 14801 MISSION ROAD LEAWOOD, KS. 66224-9560 OFFICE: 913.681.6788 x 26 FAX: 913.681.2399 Fire Sprinklers Save Lives, Property, the Environment, and Water - Protect what you value most! _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[email protected] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
