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Building Frequented by Homeless Burns Down

Denton Fire
Scene of fire in Denton | Image by Denton Fire Department/Facebook

An abandoned building in Denton that was frequented by homeless and vagrants burned down over the weekend.

On Sunday evening, nine Denton Fire Department (DFD) units responded to the burning building located on the 500 block of North Locust Street. The abandoned house is near Parkway Street next to the Denton Vacuum Cleaner Center.

The fire department received the first dispatch for the fire at 5:36 p.m. The first units arrived on the scene two minutes later, according to David Boots, the DFD safety & wellness battalion chief and public information officer.

Boots said the fire caused an estimated $20,000 in damages to the building. He confirmed to The Dallas Express on Tuesday that the cause of the fire is still unknown.

The fire was under control by 6 p.m. on Sunday.

A video of firefighters responding to the blaze was posted to the City of Denton Fire Department Facebook page. The post said, “Crews started defensive (outside) operations due to heavy fire and hoarding conditions.”

“This is a known location for persons experiencing homelessness,” according to the fire department.

This story comes as homelessness and vagrancy have worsened not only in Denton but in the City of Dallas as well.

Polling conducted by The Dallas Express found that 63% of Dallas residents consider “homelessness, vagrancy, and panhandling” to be “serious problems in Dallas.”

Another survey concluded that 76% of downtown residents think that “homelessness is a significant issue.” Respondents compared the situation in Dallas to that of cities like Austin, Houston, Chicago, and New York City.

Attempting to combat homelessness and vagrancy, the City of Dallas has encouraged residents to “Give Responsibly,” claiming that “giving spare change without offering support could make matters worse.”

However, many vagrants choose to remain on Dallas’ streets rather than utilize the services offered by the City and non-profit organizations.

Many Dallasites favor the one-stop-shop model of San Antonio’s successful Haven for Hope, which contains the crisis in a set geographic area while providing the homeless and vagrant population with services.

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