Vacant fires down in Dayton

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Vacant fires fell in Dayton by nearly half this year but a disturbing trend still has fire officials concerned.

The number of vacant fires went from 92 in 2011 to 57 with just a few weeks left in 2012.

Fire Chief Herbert Redden says one reason for the decrease is the aggressiveness of his arson investigation unit, which made 46 arrests this year.

But of those 46 arrests, Redden estimates that 40 percent of them were of teenagers or younger.

"There needs to be more parental control of the children during the summer months," Redden says of the trend.

Another reason for the drop in vacant fires is that the city is quicker to take down structures that have already caught fire once.

"That's why they're tearing it down so that won't happen again," says Darrell Stewart who works across the street from the fire damaged remains of some apartments off E. Third St that are being leveled after a fire there in August.

Fire crews want to make sure apartments like the one off Third Street don't become tempting targets.

By continuing to eliminate those and by cutting arsons involving young people, Redden thinks the numbers could be even lower next year.

That would give those in neighborhoods like the one along E. Third Street something to build on instead of tear down.

"No one that's interested in buying a home comes into a neighborhood and sees burned out houses and wants to live in that area," Redden says.

The fire department will have to keep those vacant fire numbers lower with a little less help.

Redden is expecting to have 15 fewer people next year despite the addition of a new recruit class.