Former church destroyed, 4 other buildings damaged in fire near Ohio State’s campus | #ESC_LLC #OSU #Fire #Evacuation | A fire that started in a vacant former church in Weinland Park early Saturday burned so hot and and spread so quickly that cars parked on the street were torched and destroyed and even the lights on nearby lampposts melted.
The good news, however, was that even though residents — including a few Ohio State University students — had to be evacuated from the surrounding apartment buildings, no one was injured by the three-alarm fire, said Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin.
The former church building on the southeast corner of the 1400 block of Indianola and Eighth avenues — near the OSU campus — was destroyed, and an apartment building to the east was significantly damaged after fire jumped to its attic and spread, Martin said. Three other buildings had varying levels of damage, including blown-out windows. The Red Cross was on scene assisting those families who were displaced, though no one knew exactly how many needed help.
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How to Prevent an Arson Fire in a Vacant Building
“The best way I know to prevent someone from breaking in and destroying a vacant building by setting a fire is to install wireless motions in key areas as well as one or more battery operated video surveillance cameras,” says John Larkin, Senior Partner with ESC of Greater Ohio. “For example, at the heart of wireless motions and WiFi-based cameras is the ability to report to a central monitoring station the 1) presence of someone moving in an interior area(s), and 2) a picture of the person(s) so if they do successfully damage or destroy the structure, there’s some kind of evidence left behind as to who they are.”
Over the course of the past year we’ve featured several stories on video surveillance that might be of help to you if you’re concerned about a vacant building you own or manage. Here are a list of stories that might be of help:
Put the Power of Video Surveillance to Work for You
How to Purchase a Modern Camera System, Part 1
How to Purchase a Modern Camera System, Part 2
How to Purchase a Modern Camera System, Part 3
Spy Cameras and Protecting Your SMB
In order to put all of this together, in order to purchase the right camera for your circumstance, it’s necessary to have the help of a highly technical, successful security integration firm, like Electronic Systems Consultants LLC (ESC) of Greater Ohio. To discuss your situation with an ESC professional, call 614-754-1393, send an email to [email protected], or use the comment/suggestion form below. –John Larkin, ESC Senior Partner