I live in a strange neighborhood. Well, really, all neighborhoods have their black sheep, outcasts, weirdos, but we seem to have more than we need.
Now, don't get me wrong...I am strange in and of myself. I have quite more than my fair share of antennas and satellite dishes on and around my house. Some have compared my homestead to SETI. I just tell everyone that I'm waiting for contact from the mothership.
There seems to be a phenomena in my neighborhood with people liking to set things on fire. Specifically, setting fires for communal enjoyment. What I mean by this is open burning. Several times this week and numerous times since spring began, several neighbors have had open fires going in their backyards.
The people across the back of the churchyard across the street from me have had an open pit fire going nearly every night this week, the college frat house behind me set one alight about twice a week and the neighbors to the east of my parents tore out and burned their entire privacy fence.
Within the city there is a law against open burning. One would think that with the gestapo in our town as active as they are that the pyromaniacs would be sanctioned for their crimes...especially since we live about 1/4 mile from the fire station. But, no, the fires continue.
It would not be so bad if the fires were done safely (as in not at all) in a fire pit. At our local home and garden shops they sell numerous varieties of fire containment vessels from large terra cotta vessels to small fire pit tables, all of which are available inexpensively and have provisions to prevent the fire from actually escaping and burning down a house or entire neighborhood.
The pyromaniacs in my neighborhood do not use such vessels. They only have short rings of bricks set up on their backyard lawns. I think this is so that once the inevitable drought sets in, any fires they set will surely spread.
Thankfully my homeowners insurance is paid up.
Now, don't get me wrong...I am strange in and of myself. I have quite more than my fair share of antennas and satellite dishes on and around my house. Some have compared my homestead to SETI. I just tell everyone that I'm waiting for contact from the mothership.
There seems to be a phenomena in my neighborhood with people liking to set things on fire. Specifically, setting fires for communal enjoyment. What I mean by this is open burning. Several times this week and numerous times since spring began, several neighbors have had open fires going in their backyards.
The people across the back of the churchyard across the street from me have had an open pit fire going nearly every night this week, the college frat house behind me set one alight about twice a week and the neighbors to the east of my parents tore out and burned their entire privacy fence.
Within the city there is a law against open burning. One would think that with the gestapo in our town as active as they are that the pyromaniacs would be sanctioned for their crimes...especially since we live about 1/4 mile from the fire station. But, no, the fires continue.
It would not be so bad if the fires were done safely (as in not at all) in a fire pit. At our local home and garden shops they sell numerous varieties of fire containment vessels from large terra cotta vessels to small fire pit tables, all of which are available inexpensively and have provisions to prevent the fire from actually escaping and burning down a house or entire neighborhood.
The pyromaniacs in my neighborhood do not use such vessels. They only have short rings of bricks set up on their backyard lawns. I think this is so that once the inevitable drought sets in, any fires they set will surely spread.
Thankfully my homeowners insurance is paid up.
2 comments:
The same thing happens in Japan. People are constantly burning leaves, for instance. It smells horrible and is done in rather unsafe ways. There's tons of smoke and sometimes bits blow off. All the concrete tends to keep spreading down, but it's still pretty frustrating!
Thankfully the frat house make a little fire, generally to roast hot dogs and such. My big problem with them is that they do this at ungodly hours on days that I have to wake early for work! I believe it was Tuesday last they partied until about 3 am...
It is the people across the back of the churchyard across the street that concern me most. When they burn things, they burn A LOT. The fire is rather large, quite visible from the main drag and very smoky. I don't think they are burning leaves since there are none, but whatever it is it stinks up the neighborhood.
I was concerned when the neighbors next door to mother and father were burning their fence (which is bizarre in and of itself) over several weeks as the fence is pressure-treated lumber. The chemicals used to pressure treat wood are noxious in their own right when not on fire. It is very much not recommended to burn pressure treated lumber as this volatilizes already unpleasant chemicals into a great deal more unpleasanter chemicals.
There was one point that I wished they would have saved the fence and burned themselves up instead. I think I was off my meds then...
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