Houses don’t generally fall down without help, and though age and deterioration are likely culprits in a recent incident in Wilton, the town played a role as well.

In a cloud of dust, a decrepit, two-story home in Wilton plummeted earthward Thursday, surprising neighbors and seemingly reminding town officials – oh yeah – there is a decrepit two-story home in Wilton just waiting to collapse.

Scarier still, the house was reportedly a popular hangout for kids, who would perch on the house’s steps while waiting for the school bus to appear at the stop across the street. An early-morning or weekend collapse could have brought tragedy, rather than the comedy the collapse has become.

Other towns with wobbly abandoned properties should now be mindful of collapses, in the wake of Wilton. Though houses don’t fall down without help, they do fall down if you let them.