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A reminder as we enter nicer weather – Herkimer Village is highly flammable.
Some of Herkimer landlord Jay Smith’s tenants hosted this event the night of 5/17-5/18. It’s behind 332 Pleasant Avenue. 332’s one of the three anchor properties surrounding Herkimer’s historic drug and child trafficking lot. All are Smith’s properties.
Things began reasonably enough in the early evening. But as the hours wore on, the crowd grew, the music soared, the booze flowed and the sparks flew high. To be fair to the folks who live at 332, they got the lot of them to kill the music, then took their kids in. Most places that would have signaled the end of the evening. But no. People I recognized were soon outnumbered by people I didn’t, and still they came.
What began with five or so folks with some kids grew to more than dozen adults, gathered about a blazing fire bowl the size of the mother ship. Sparks soared high. The police appeared shortly after 1 am, shut down the festivities and ordered the fire doused. (A large federal surveillance drone was also in attendance.)
5/18/19 “Herkimer police shut down the festivities and ordered the fire doused.” The crowd is much smaller than it was a few seconds ago.
Herkimer Village A Tinderbox
Herkimer Village is a tinderbox of close-set very old houses. In January, we were all tragically reminded of how deadly this can be when three small children died in a fast moving house fire just a few blocks away.
Herkimer does not allow open fires of any sort within 100 feet of any house, vehicle or structure. Period. (A grill is not a cover—it’s a grill.) The Herkimer police these days are quick to respond to reports of open fires and large crowds. Call them. The neighbor’s being ticked at you is better than you and yours going up in flames.
Herkimer Fire Law, Section 1-14(B)
Camp fires and fires used solely for recreation purposes [are permitted[ when such fires are located at least one hundred (100) feet from any dwelling, structure, or vehicle and are properly controlled and supervised by the Herkimer Fire Department.
