Sunday, July 11, 2010

Clement Ave. School Fire

While thousands gathered in Bay View on Saturday to enjoy the South Shore Water Frolics and watch the fireworks, a cacophony of sirens from multiple fire and police vehicles cut the night.

It made for a very unpleasant distraction less than midway through the fireworks display.

Why all the sirens in the distance? Was it a serious accident? A fight? A shooting? A fire?

It was a fire.

Here's a blurb on the incident, from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Milwaukee firefighters battled a fire at Clement Ave. School, 3666 S. Clement Ave., Saturday night.

The fire was reported about 10:15 p.m. and was extinguished shortly after 10:30 p.m.

The fire was on an outside door frame, and Milwaukee police investigating the fire as possible arson, said Battalion 4 Fire Chief Sean Slowey. He said it appeared the fire had burned for an hour before being reported.

I don't get how a fire can burn for an hour without doing serious widespread damage to the building.

Was the possible arson fire set using a Glade Candle purposely left unattended with the intent of engulfing the school?

Weird.

This event had nothing to do with the Frolics. It wasn't like the stabbings after the Humboldt Park fireworks last Monday night. Coincidentally, Clement Ave. was the scene of that crime, too.

This fire was blocks and blocks away from the festivities at South Shore, but it was within earshot.

It's a disturbing reminder that there are bad people in the area doing bad things.

Will the thugs drive the good people away?

I hope not.

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