Can this be true? Neighbors say IL fire department burns vacant homes overnight
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Can this be true? KTVI-TV tells us residents of Venice, Illinois claim that their local fire department has a regular program of burning abandoned homes to the ground during the overnight hours. Neighbors on Abbott Street, like Laronda Mathis, told reporter Chris Hayes of one recent fire and shared cell phone videos of the fire and her conversation with the chief. Mathis said the windows on her home cracked because of the fire.
A couple neighbors, who did not want to be identified, said they saw the fire department set the fire. They said it`s part of a regular plan to burn abandoned homes in the middle of the night.
She confronted Venice`s fire chief and recorded video on her cell phone.
She says Chief Thomas Brent told her that another firefighter was supposed to warn her.
FOX 2 went to the fire department to get a response. It appeared vacant. We found a volunteer firefighter in sleeping quarters who told me the chief was not available. He promised to tell the chief- we need answers.