Fires in vacant structures tend to rise as temperatures begin to fall

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — Chief John Lane, of the Shreveport Fire Department, said there is no uptick happening but more fires are taking place at locations people recognize.

You might remember just a month ago a fire broke out at the former Humpfrees building that was vacant for years. So why is this happening?

[RELATED: Shreveport home destroyed in early morning fire]

“On those vacant property fire structures where there are no utilities, fires just don’t spontaneously begin,” Lane explained. “So, typically, those are either homeless or unsecured properties. So if we can get the homeowners to secure those properties and prevent people from gaining access, we would see a decline in this. But typically, that’s the reason.”

And he said in cold months they typically see more.

“We just hit the fall weather. And I know we had a temperature drop today. And we do tend to see a slight increase this time of year because those vagrant and homeless people are trying to keep warm,” Lane said Monday.

To keep this from happening, he added, property owners should board their homes or check on them often.

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