LEWISTON — Firefighters will be more cautious about responding to fire and emergency calls at 54 abandoned houses and apartments around the downtown, waiting to go inside until fires are mostly extinguished.
The buildings are all on the list of vacant and abandoned residential structures the city is hoping to demolish over the next year, according to Fire Chief Paul LeClair.
“With vacant buildings like this, things inside can change day to day,” LeClair said. “With nobody inside keeping an eye on conditions, we don’t necessarily know what to expect. Many of these buildings can have holes develop in the floors, or stairs that have collapsed. Some are used as dumps and filled with debris, and that adds to the fire load.”
LeClair said his firefighters have started attaching placards to the 54 structures to identify them as particularly unsafe. LeClair released that list to the Sun Journal on Monday.
Firefighters will not enter those buildings to fight fires until a captain assumes command of the scene, interior and exterior lighting is confirmed, doors and windows have been opened and the main body of the fire has been extinguished.
The city has a “two in, two out” rule for most other burning structures — two firefighters must be on hand and outside of the fire scene for every two that are inside.
“But there is a big difference between a structure that is cared for and supervised and one that is not, and we don’t want to risk one of our firefighters getting hurt,” LeClair said. “This is a way to communicate a building’s state, for neighbors and our firefighters, so there is no question about safety.”
LeClair said the city is willing to work with owners that are hoping to fix their buildings.
“If someone contacts us and tells us they’re working on it, that’s fine,” LeClair said. “We’re mostly concerned about the buildings where we haven’t heard from anyone.”
The city has been moving to demolish abandoned and failing buildings in recent weeks. So far, councilors have voted to demolish four buildings on the list: 305 Bates St., 10 College, St., 81 Lincoln St. and 67 Oak St.
View Apartments Placarded as unsafe in a larger map
Buildings placarded by Lewiston Fire Department as structurally hazardous
Source: Lewiston Fire Department
73 Bartlett St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned.
114 Bartlett St. Condition: Vacant (rear porches unsafe). Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
118 Bartlett St. Condition: Vacant. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
139 Bartlett St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 1/13/2012
155 Bartlett St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
184 Bartlett St. Condition: Vacant. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
305 Bates St. Condition: Severe deterioration/ extraordinary amount of mold. Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
320 Bates St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned/ready to collapse.
1 Beech St. Condition: Vacant, not safe for firefighters. Most recent inspection: 6/4/2010
80 Birch St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned.
130 Blake St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned.
124 Campus Ave. Condition: Vacant/Condemned.
10 College St. Condition: Severe deterioration. Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection:10/25/2011
12 Fair St. Condition: Vacant; Large unprotected (no guards) opening with access to cellar in rear of 1st floor; rear deck and access stairs structurally unsound. Most recent inspection: 12/16/2011
112 Holland St. Condition: Vacant. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
178 Holland St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
180 Holland St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 1/13/2012
21-23 Howard St. Condition: To be condemned. Vacant. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
48 Howe St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
60 Howe St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned.
76 Irwin Ave. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
18 King Ave. Condition: Seriously dilapidated. Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
47 Knox St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned.
91 Knox St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned.
7 Lincoln Dr. Condition: Structural deficiencies/dangerous. Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
81 Lincoln St. Condition: Severely deteriorated. Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
248 Lincoln St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
251 Lincoln St. Condition: Severely deteriorated. Vacant. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
264 Lincoln St. Condition: Vacant. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
266 Lincoln St. Condition: Poor condition. Vacant. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
25 Lucielle Ave. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
67 Oak St. Condition: Rear porches very poor condition Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
50 Oak St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned.
226 Oak St / 62 Elm St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned access issues/debris in interior. Most recent inspection: 6/21/2011
162 Oxford St. Condition: Dangerously dilapidated. Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
208 Park St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned.
220 Park St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. 10/25/2011
5 Peter Blvd. Condition: Vacant. 10/25/2011
122 Pierce St. Condition: Egress porches and stairs dangerously deteriorated condition. Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
46 River St. Condition: Vacant.
145 Sabattus St. Condition: Vacant/No Entry. Most recent inspection: 11/4/2011
147 Sabattus St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. 10/25/2011
357 Sabattus St. Condition: Severely deteriorated. Vacant/Condemned (Dangerously weak porches/weak floors). Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
478 Sabattus St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
3 Shawmut St. Condition: To be condemned. Vacant. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
80 Shawmut St. Condition: Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
29 Spring St. Condition: Severely deteriorated/unsanitary conditions. Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
82 Summer St. Condition: Vacant. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
48 Tampa St. Condition: Substantial interior damage and mold. Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
27 Thorne Ave. Condition: Dangerous building collapsing structurally. Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
28 Wakefield St. Condition: Deteriorated. Vacant/Condemned. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
84 Walnut St. Condition: Lead hazard; to be condemned. Vacant. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
582 Webster St. Condition: Vacant (cellar stairs missing). Most recent inspection: 12/15/2009
741 Webster St. Condition: Vacant. Most recent inspection: 10/25/2011
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