NOTE: This post is a departure from our usual satire, and covers a real news event.
Webb School as seen the morning of July 10, 2012
This is a morning-after post covering the fire at Webb School, which we covered live as it was breaking last night.
Above: This is Webb School now, in a photo taken moments ago on Holbrook St NE near Mt Olivet Rd.
Media this morning reported neighbors seeing persons inside the school before the fire. While I haven’t been able to independently verify that, I can confirm that neighbors have pleaded to the city for many months to better secure the building. Those concerns fell on deaf ears.
This morning, I haven’t heard back from Mayor Vince Gray in response to my query regarding securing the school. And, his website and Twitter account are both silent on this devastating fire as well. He probably has other things to worry about this morning, but something would be nice.
UPDATE: I can confirm that a reliable DC government source says this morning that the building was “totally unsecured” as of yesterday, the day of the fire. Also, the school had a lot of old furniture and other equipment, as it was basically being used as a storage warehouse. This source is well-placed and verified, with personal knowledge of the school.
Below: a photo of the fire engulfing Webb School on Holbrook St NE.
God bless these youngsters! I’ll bet late at night after the final ember died away, the firemen had gained valuable additional training in dealing with school fires, training they would not have gotten if not for the thoughtfulness of the city youth.
@OverTheRiver — It’s unfortunate that you assume it was the city’s kids. This essentially abandoned property has been sitting empty for the past three years since the FentyRhee regime shut the school down w/o any plan for use or re-use. As someone who lives across the street, and watched the school burn, and knows the kids in my nehighborhood — I can say with confidence that I don’t beleive ANY of them would be able to get in through the welded-shut doors (which, btw, hindered the fire response) to set this fire. It’s curious to me, that we have a bldg welded, that’s used for storage, which had had a series of hints to be torn down and used to build new condos. And then, VIOLA — there’s a fire. Seems a little bit too convenient for me. imjusayin!
Well @LadyDi1908, I will say you just opened my eyes about phasing right here in the Trinidad neighborhood of Capital City. While you know the extensive history of phasing, I’ll enlighten our fellow readers whose reading of the Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers has not extended to this subject.
Phasing is simply the ability to move through solid objects, in this case, doors that are welded-shut. I must take your word that children did not use phasing to get inside and (dare I say) “torch the place”. So Act of God; I think not, Adults phasing? Perhaps. Jewish Lightning? Perhaps more so the case. Either way this fire takes on a far more ominous tone. And exactly as you so poignantly pointed out “a bit too convenient”.
This does raise a serious question. Do you think the condos will have ample parking?
[...] The former Webb school had become neglected and relegated for use by the DC governmetn as a surplus property storage facility and the unlocked facility was damaged by fire earlier this year. [...]