Palm Bay Fires

[incognito]

I did an appraisal in Pams neck of the woods over the weekend. It is unbelievable the amount of area that was burned. My subject property did not have a scar on it, yet there was total devastation on all 4 sides of it. These are some photos I took. 5 days later, and the piles of ashes were still radiating heat. There is NOTHING left. I thought Hurricanes were destructive. I'll take hurricane over fire any day. The job the firemen did was amazing!

These photos are not in Pams immediate neighborhood (her neighborhood is newer and quite a bit nicer), but are less than 1/2 mile away. The fires literally were burning on the border of her subdivision, melting PVC fences, last week...

 

[Wendy]

What a sad thing.

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

Thanks for posting the photos, incognito. Yes, it is beyond amazing what Palm Bay looks like now. I was crying as Jim and I drove out last Tuesday afternoon.

Just listening to the local news, there was another intentionally set this morning.
80% of the fires are now considered 'contained'. Yes... we are still burning in various areas.

The fire fighters did a beyond outstanding job!!!!! Many houses still standing where the fires burned everything around the house. I noticed a few that are now 3+/- years old houses that nobody has ever moved into, but they have been for sale all this time, some even flipped a couple of times so far, that were also saved from the fires. Have to wonder how happy those speculator and/or Bank owners are about that... We were outside watching some of our neighbors using their hoses to water down their houses last Monday afternoon when Jim mentioned the speculators would probably like to put gasoline on their houses instead of water.

How mentally screwed up is anyone that would set a fire that would do this kind of damage? They better hope the police catch them instead of many of the people that live here.

 

[Wendy]

I hate to even say this or to speculate along these lines......

But, I wonder if anyone did take advantage of the fires to get rid of an upside down home?

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

Many have speculated about that, even in the local news. Gee, it wasn't just me speculating like that!

 

[incognito]

I contemplated the same thing, as well. However, I can not seem to figure out how it would benefit someone to do this (who has no equity or is upside down in a house). I say this because the insurance would cover the replacement cost of the improvements. Really, it is the land value that is gone down the most. So they burn their 1600 sq.ft. house, and insurance builds them a new one on their site. They still owe the same money to the mortgage company. Sure, they get a nicer house, perhaps...

Am I missing something?

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

:new_smile-l: Nope, I don't think you're missing anything there....

 

[Wendy]

I don't think you're missing anything.....I just think people in desperate situations sometimes do stupid things.

I really feel so bad for the people who lose their homes to fire. Just look around your house and imagine it all gone. Scary.

 

[incognito]

You know, some things in life really make a lasting impression. I have driven through tornado ravaged areas, areas destroyed by hurricanes, even totally flooded areas, and seen the remains. For me, over and above the devastation, the loss, the callousness on the part of the arsonists, and the incredible job the fireman did, the most amazing thing with the fires was:

It is amazing how an entire house, belongings, EVERYTHING, can just burn to a tiny pile of ash. It is ALL gone! A humbling experience....