Construction Maison

San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin has asked the city attorney to explore legislation to impose a vacancy tax on large property owners who leave residential and commercial buildings empty . During a supervisors meeting this month, Peskin said he continues to receive complaints about the impact of “ghost buildings” on neighborhoods. The problem is, nobody really knows how many vacant homes there are in the city and whether a vacancy tax would be legal or effective in freeing up much-needed housing. In an interview, Peskin cited a 28- unit apartment building at 1656 Powell St. that was vacated after a fire damaged some units in December 2013. It remains empty. The three-story building is in a prime North Beach location across from Washington Square Park . Four businesses on the building’s ground floor — a liquor store, a bar, a Thai restaurant and a seafood restaurant — are open, but the apartments above still have boarded-up windows and a littered lobby. Some work was done in the...

Dallas Fire-Rescue firefighters have contained a 3-alarm fire at an apartment building in Uptown Dallas. The fire started at about 11:30 Wednesday morning on the 3200 block of Hall Street. Crews said they could see smoke and fire coming from a third-floor balcony when they arrived. Once they extinguished the blaze, they found a dog inside the building. Paramedics attempted to save the dog with oxygen, but were unsuccessful and the dog died. No other injuries were reported. The fire caused damage to two different units, but at least 10 additional units sustained water and/or smoke damage. An unknown number of residents are displaced due to the damages. The American Red Cross was notified to assist them. Fire officials determined the fire was accidental. It was caused from an improperly discarded a cigarette. Published at 12:16 PM CDT on Aug 9, 2017 | Updated at 2:48 PM CDT on Aug 9, 2017

BETTENDORF, Iowa (KWQC)- UPDATE: Bettendorf fire was dispatched to the 1800 block of Sutton Place at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday. When firefighters arrived , the fire was burning through the roof of a two story apartment complex . The Bettendorf Fire Department had the fire under control at approximately 7:55 p.m. and was extinguished at 9 p.m. while firefighters monitored hot spots overnight . All occupants of the six apartment complex were removed, none of them were injured. A firefighter sustained minor injuries . The Red Cross assisted in accommodating the residents. There are no estimates yet for the apartment's extensive damage. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. ORIGINAL: Bettendorf Fire Crews responded to an apartment fire in the 1800 block of Sutton Place. That's just behind Harris Pizza and Wells Fargo off of 18th street. The call came in around 7 p.m. When crews got on scene, fire was visible on the outside of the a...

A man accused of setting a car on fire near St. Vincent Healthcare on Monday did it so he could return to jail, charging documents say. He had been out of custody for two and a half weeks after being arrested and charged with setting fire to his mother’s home. William Arnold Miller , 58, appeared in Yellowstone County Justice Court on Wednesday on one felony count of arson. Miller turned himself in to authorities at the Yellowstone County Sheriff ’s Office after starting the fire earlier this week and is being held on $75,000 bond. In a statement to police, Miller said he drove to the Holiday Gas Station on North 27th Street and Sixth Avenue North and filled a Powerade bottle with gasoline. He then drove west, found a dark-colored car near St. Vincent Healthcare on 12th Avenue North , poured gasoline on the windshield, lit a match and ignited the vehicle, according to charging documents. No one was in the car at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported, according to a pr...

UPDATE: The Greenville County Sheriff 's Office is assisting the Wade Hampton Fire Department with its investigation into what caused the fire at Lakecrest Apartments.  Thirty-three people were displaced during the fire, which began at roughly 9:30 p.m.  Read more about the investigation at WYFF's story. -------------------------------------------------- The top level of an apartment building in Taylors was scorched late Friday night , and fire officials are investigating to determine what caused the blaze.  David Bailey, assistant chief of the Wade Hampton Fire Department , said WHFD was called to Lakecrest Apartments at 3900 East North Street at approximately 9:30 p.m. When they arrived, Building H, near the rear of the grounds, was on fire, Bailey said. The fire was concentrated near the top floor of the building.  Wade Hampton , Taylors and Piedmont Park fire departments were all on scene. The American Red Cross assisted firefighters with rehabilitation from the heat....

(Source: 3TV/CBS 5) CHANDLER, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - Firefighters with The Chandler Fire, Health and Medical Department were hard at work trying to save a family mobile home from becoming a total loss early Monday morning . At around 1 a.m. firefighters got the call of a mobile home on fire near Chandler Boulevard and McQueen Road. But by the time fire crews arrived , those flames had already jumped to a second unit. Firefighters awoke the family of six living inside that home and got them out safely but not before the fire caused significant damage . The Red Cross is helping the family out following the fire.  The original home was abandoned, according to firefighters.  CFHM on scene of working mobile home fire at 800 E Chandler blvd. 1 trailer fully involved & 1 trailer with moderate damage,fire out,no inj. pic.twitter.com/xACdYCepK8 — Blas Minor, PIO (@ChandlerFirePIO) August 21, 2017 Click/tap here to download the free azfamily mobile app . Copyright 2017 KPHO/KTVK ( KPHO Bro...

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — One person is charged with intentionally setting a fire in Woodbridge on Saturday. Fire crews were called to an apartment in the 15700 block of Tassleford Lane off Cardinal Drive about 5:56 a.m. Saturday for a report of a fire. As crews arrived, they saw light smoke at the four- story apartment complex . The fire, which occurred on the first floor, was contained by a sprinkler system, said Prince William fire and recue Battalion Chief Curt Brodie . With the fire out and building ventilated, the fire marshal’s office investigated the blaze and determined the fire was intentionally set. Timothy Michael Smith , of Woodbridge, is charged with arson in connection to the blaze. He is scheduled to appear in court August 22. No injuries were reported in the fire, and the damage is estimated to be $5,000. This fire comes as investigators were still looking into what caused a fire at a townhouse in Dumfries on July 16. Investigators have offered little information on the case...

A spectacular fire, possibly ignited by lightning, caused heavy damage Tuesday night to an apartment house in Maryland, according to the state fire marshal ’s office. The fire broke out in the Hagerstown area of western Maryland about 70 miles northwest of the District of Columbia. No injuries or deaths were reported immediately. The three-story building had 37 apartments, and 74 occupants, the fire marshal’s office said. The fire began on the roof, according to the fire marshal’s office. It said witnesses “described a potential lightning strike before the fire.” A resident of the building told the Hagerstown Daily Mail that he thought lightning was responsible for the blaze. When the lightning struck, Travis Nagle told the Hagerstown newspaper, “The whole building shook.” Investigators are trying to confirm a cause, the fire marshal’s office said. It said 70 firefighters took about an hour and a half to bring the blaze under control. Flames leaped from the roof of the stru...

ANDERSON — Two families were displaced by an early morning fire at Stonebrook Townhome and Apartments off Columbus Avenue ON Wednesday, Anderson Fire Chief Dave Cravens said. The fire was reported about 3:25 a.m., and its cause was traced to an electrical panel in a hallway closet in one of the apartments, he said. There were no injuries, and it took firefighters about about two hours to extinguish the fire. Cravens said the fire caused about $10,000 in building damage. He estimated the two families suffered about a $5,000 loss of possessions. There have been "four to five fires over the past seven or eight days," which is unusual for this time of year, he added.

There will be efforts on Capitol Hill to review current laws on the use of fireworks after several episodes of property damage caused by wayward pyrotechnics during the July holiday season . While home fireworks displays are a cherished tradition for many families, there are good reasons to weigh their harm versus their celebratory benefits. On the minus side, they cause significant damage by starting fires and contribute to poor air quality . Some military veterans afflicted with PTSD say they can be nerve-wracking, families with infants report restless nights and pet owners talk about jittery animals. There are laws governing the time, manner and use of fireworks in Utah, but they are notoriously hard to enforce. Some aficionados choose to blatantly disregard time constraints , and neighborhood explosions at 2 a.m. are hardly conducive to public tranquility. Rep. Marie Poulson, D- Cottonwood Heights , has opened a legislative file on the matter after constituent complaints and ...

Update: Investigators suspect arson in Stonebrook Apartments fire GRAND RAPIDS — Residents fled to safety Sunday night as firefighters were able to quickly put out a fire that caused extensive damage to an apartment on the city’s Northeast Side. The fire department was called to the Stonebrook Apartments , off Plymouth Avenue NE between Michigan and Leonard streets, just after 10:30 pm. Smoke was reported coming from the apartment when the first units arrived. Apartment residents were out of the building before fire units arrived . No one was injured. The American Red Cross was called in to help the family displaced by the blaze. Fire officials were on the scene for several hours looking into the cause.

By: News Staff Email: news@abc6.com Twitter: @ABC6 CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WLNE) — Cumberland Fire officials are investigating what caused a fire in a senior living facility Thursday afternoon . According to officials at the Brookdale Senior Living facility , located on Old Diamond Hill Road , there was a fire in an apartment around 1:30 p.m. Fire crews responded and required the building to be evacuated. No injuries were reported from either residents or associates. “Those residents who are displaced due to the fire and water damage will be relocated to other living spaces. We are grateful to our associates who responded quickly and assisted residents to exit from the building safely,” said Heather Hunter with Brookdale Senior Living Inc. The investigation is ongoing. ©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2017

TULSA, Oklahoma - An early morning fire at the Sand Dollar Apartments in Tulsa killed a 1-year-old child and left a 7-year-old in critical condition. We're working to learn more about the baby. Tulsa Police say they're not investigating the fire because it wasn't a criminal act.  The call came in around 2:15 Friday morning at the Sand Dollar Apartments near 61st and Riverside. Crews arrived to find the fire burning at the south end of the complex. Firefighters said they had to pull five people out including three children. Don Pearce said he made it out by himself. "I was sleeping in the reclining, just trying to go to sleep, when the next thing I know, someone's banging on the door talking about a fire," said Don Pearce. All six victims were taken to Tulsa hospitals where three were first said to be in serious condition. Tulsa Police said a 1-year-old child later died, and a 7-year-old child has been updated to critical condition. Firefighters said most o...

Large fire breaks out in Hagerstown apartment building The fire broke out in the Hagerstown area of western Maryland about 70 miles northwest of the District of Columbia. The fire marshal's office says no injuries have been reported, and all 74 residents have been accounted for. Roku's Market Share Lead is Growing The company can form partnerships more easily because it doesn't promote specific content or platforms, the firm said. Its market share is up from 33 percent in the first quarter of 2016 to 37 percent in the first quarter of 2017. Rod Stewart to perform remotely on MTV Video Music Awards His new version updates the song for a new generation with DNCE , which Jonas formed a couple years ago . Stewart is now working on his first album since 2015's Another Country . New US sanctions against N. Korea could bite Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump threatened Pyongyang with "fire, fury ... the likes of which this world has never seen". ...

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. - A fire caused about $70,000 worth of damage to at least four apartments in Wilmington Saturday morning .            It happened around 5 a.m. at the Sand Ridge Apartments on Troy Drive. Investigators say the fire started in a trash can on a porch outside after smoking material was not properly discarded. Fortunately no one was injured, and the Red Cross is working to help anyone displaced.

The fire that caused severe damage to a section of Greenhaven Apartments on Thursday was a tragedy. Thankfully, no one was killed or seriously injured in the early morning blaze that has been ruled accidental, but the fire resulted in a lot of people who lost most of their belongings and one tenant lost her beloved dog. Some people residing in the apartments only made it out with the clothes on their backs. It’s a sad situation when events like this occur. People’s lives are turned upside down over the loss of their belongings, finding accommodations until they can find a place to live, acquiring new household goods, losing rent and bill money that may have been inside the apartments and array of other issues that come when a disaster like this occurs. The building has been ruled to be uninhabitable, so those residents obviously will not be residing there anytime soon.  Hopefully, the majority of the tenants who lived in the apartment building have now found permanent places to liv...

Tomas Vialpando Tomas Vialpando PUEBLO, Colo. - An arrest is made after police believe an apartment fire in Pueblo was started intentionally. Tomas Vialpando is being held at the Pueblo County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail. Some neighbors at the Casa Del Sol apartments say that's not enough. Police say he set two separate fires in his apartment on the night of August 6. It caused damage to his apartment but none of the surrounding apartments , which are all occupied. Vialpando was arrested on charges of first-degree arson. According to the arrest affidavit, Vialpando was being evicted and police found a can of butane in his bedroom. We spoke with neighbors in the complex who say they're worried about the low bail for Vialpando and his mental stability after they say he threatened one of their lives the night the fires were set.