Elmwood Ave. home gutted by fire worries neighbors

A Marietta home destroyed by fire two weeks ago is sitting empty and untouched now, but residents say that when school begins again just a feet away from the site, they fear it will quickly become a safety concern.

The house at 120 Elmwood Ave., beside Phillips Elementary, was destroyed by an accidental fire July 14, while the family renting the home was away. As of Friday, the home was unsecured, without even caution tape around it, with belongings still scattered in the yard.

"The house needs to be gone before school starts (Aug. 25)," said neighbor James Lee, who lives on Buckeye Avenue. "I understand it takes time to tear it down, but there will be a lot of kids around once school starts."

Roger Kalter, who helps maintain the Incredible Community Playground on the other side of the elementary school, said he's already had to call the police when he's noticed children too close to the vacant home.

"There were kids playing close to it, unsupervised," he said. "The front of the house is wide open and it's a disaster waiting to happen. School is starting soon, and this is the largest elementary school in the city. That house needs to not be there then."

Marietta Fire Department inspector Richard Stewart said he's been in communication with the homeowners, Roger and Barbara Haessly, and that they would like to tear the house down sometime in August.

The Haessleys couldn't be reached for comment Friday.

"They sent a letter out to the renters and gave them 30 days to make sure they have all their belongings out because they want to demo it," Stewart said. "I think when that time is up they're going to tear it down, and they said they would go down and try to secure the front door until then."

Marietta safety-service director Chad Presley said he also planned to give the property another look and try to determine if the city needed to step in.

It's the responsibility of the property owner to secure the area after a fire, he said, but if there is a serious public safety issue, city officials will first notify the owners that they need to take action and then help to secure the property if that isn't successful, he said.

"We only need to do that for a couple of properties a year," Presley said. "Most property owners take care of it when the city first makes contact."

Presley said the city hasn't yet made any contact with the owners regarding securing the property in this case.

"We try to be reasonable in our expectations," he said. "A fire is a significant trauma to a family so we have to balance that with public safety. Usually there's a fire investigation and an insurance investigation and the homeowner may not receive financial restitution for some time."

The burned home isn't the only property in the neighborhood that poses a problem, said Lee, who said a vacant building just down the block on Buckeye Avenue has been an eyesore for more than two decades.

The windows of the building are broken out and there's glass surrounding the front of the building.

"Kids go into that building," Lee said. "I'd like to see that one go, too."

Presley said at last check the doors of the building had been secured and there wasn't a way in.

"Someone has thrown rocks into the windows and broken them, but it appears the windows are small pane so it would be really hard for someone to get through," he said. "If there's a situation where kids or homeless people or anyone is making entrance, we would contact the property owner about securing the property again."