Month: June 2019

Fire Watch of 6.4-5 – They Figured It Out

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by Stephen Ames Berry

Herkimer Fire Watch, 6.4-5. Our continuing coverage of the dangerous ongoing antics of the fire bugs next door: 332 Pleasant Avenue, Herkimer, a Jay Smith property. We’re a tinder-dry, flammable village along the Mohawk. We’ve had 3 deaths this year from a nighttime house fire, some very young kids perished.  Open fires within 100 feet of anything are illegal. Have been for years. Some folks don’t care. We do. Others do. The police and fire departments certainly do.

Herkimer Fire Performance of 6.4-5

Tonight’s performance was brief with fewer players than previously. All of these guys either live at or are associated with 332 Pleasant Avenue, the house to the left. It’s owned by, did I say? Herkimer landlord Jay Smith.
Police responded promptly and the fire was extinguished.

The shirtless Kyle from 332 Pleasant was as usual the chief performer. At minute 0:45, someone points out the unconcealed camera to him. They at last figured it out. It’s been there for months, as have the lights. Kyle reacts and everyone files by into the house, low-hanging fruit for video recognition software. 

Herkimer gang member showers security camera
6.5.17 332 Pleasant Avenue Herkimer fire bug Kyle showers security camera with love

Why do you move next door to a house with 25 cameras and a very active crime blog, unless of course, you want media coverage?

A tip of the hat to the Herkimer police for a quick response and to Herkimer County 911. We await the next performance. 

Herkimer Fire Watch of 6-2-19 [UPDATED 6.4 – VIDEO VIEWABLE]

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6.4.19  Update: The YouTube video is now viewable on the post.

by Stephen Ames Berry

Our Herkimer fire watch of 6.2.19 saw yet another in the spate of dangerous and illegal fires behind landlord Jay Smith’s 332 Pleasant Avenue. Scofflaw tenants from all three Smith properties abutting Herkimer’s historic child trafficking lot participated, frolicking from 9 pm to midnight, just before Herkimer police arrived. It was obvious they’d been alerted that police were on the way. Following a phone call to one of them, the flames were quickly doused and most of the fire bugs scuttled into 332 Pleasant Avenue.

When the officer arrived a moment later, there were only two people fireside, watching a few dying flames. I doubt he was fooled—there was a lot of smoke still in the air.

Minute
1:05/3:05 334 Pleasant resident heaps household trash on fire.
3:30 Sparks fly. Happily a windless night and the ground damp.
3:39 Red and black jacket guy gets phone warning. Assume he had a friend monitoring the police channel. Fire doused by 332’s life-of-the-party Kyle.
4:01 All but the two fireside go into 332 Pleasant. Male voice overheard making unambiguous death threat about burning up two old people. All potential suspects captured on camera as they parade by. (They remind me of my old high school Behavior Boy class in Sarasota.)
5:05 Officer arrives. Not much to see. Quickly leaves.

Herkimer is highly flammable. We’ve already had 3 deaths by fire this year. This ongoing depraved indifference only makes it likely to happen again.