Eugene Fire Department Burns old Home for Practice

On my way to work this morning I saw the Eugene Fire Department sectioning off this house out in West Eugene right by Hynix. I wondered what they were doing, but soon realized that they were about to burn down one of those ratty little houses on the corner of Willow Creek and West 11th.

So I ran out of my work and took some shots of the smoke that billowed away as they set the house ablaze and subsequently put out the fire. I couldn't help but choke on the smoke filled air as shown in the photos taken.

I approached two firemen at the scene to inquire about the situation. They told me that they had just set the house on fire as a training exercise to put it out. The property most likely was given up by the owner so as to not have to pay for demolishing expenses. While I am sure the Eugene Fire Department needs "practice", I can only say that perhaps they should have let nearby businesses and residents know of what they were doing. I am working a couple buildings over and the smoke is very irritating for my lungs and for others too. I probably shouldn't have gone as close to the fire as I did, but I really wanted to get some good shots of the smoke and the flame.

My only real concern was that the house must have been over 50 years old, and who knows if any asbestos or lead paint or other toxic hazards could have just been released into the local air. In my point of view, the fire department was a little irresponsible in taking into consideration the health effects of this planned burn.

Any comments?