Month: June 2008

From Ordinary Radicals and The Simple Way:

Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of the 7-alarm fire that consumed an entire block of Kensington. The Simple Way has been working hard trying to get justice for their neighbors. But still, a year later and the city has yet to rectify this situation. Below is the press release, and videos about the fire and its aftermath.

7-alarm fire destroyed an entire block of Kensington, residents still face tens of thousands of dollars worth of fines from the City.

On June 20, 2007 an abandoned, city-owned, factory caught fire and burned down an entire block of Kensington, forcing evacuation of over 100 families and leaving 400 others without power of families as it ripped through the 3200 block of H Street. Dozens of homes were damaged and destroyed, cars exploded, a neighborhood in turmoil. Now, one year later, those families are being told they owe the City of Philadelphia money.

Victims of the fire were sent notices from the City of Philadelphia’s Licenses and Inspections Office saying the charred ruins that remained of their homes was an “eminent danger” to the neighborhood. This is all after the neglected City property caught fire for the third time that year and consumed their homes. The lot where the factory used to stand, along with the dirt block where there homes once sat, is now filled with broken glass, tires and trash, a scar on what was once a vibrant block of North Philadelphia.

One of the buildings lost in the fire was a community center belonging to The Simple Way, an influential nonprofit organization that has been serving in the neighborhood for over 10 years (along with the home of Simple Way founder and best-selling author Shane Claiborne). As people heard of the crisis, financial gifts came in from around the world and The Simple Way has worked with a neighborhood coalition over the past year to help families stabilize as they rise from the ashes. The fire garnered national attention, and now their petition to the city has thousands of signatures. Despite pleas to all major players, and a visit from Mayor Nutter himself, the City of Philadelphia they are having a hard time not going to court over this.

“Despite being advised to declare a class-action lawsuit, we are doing everything we can to invite the new Mayor and administration to do what’s right. All we are asking is that the City forgive the fines that have been imposed on victims of the fire so that we can continue to rebuild our neighborhood. It’s an easy opportunity to shine in an ugly situation.” — Shane Claiborne (author, resident and fire victim)

“We have been told by sympathetic folks in nearly every department in the City that this situation is embarrassing and shameful on the part of the City. But at the end of the day, one year later, we still face tens of thousands of dollars in fines.” (Darin Peterson, Exectuive Director of The Simple Way)

related links ::

• the simple way
• recap video: practicing Resurrection
• video of Shane Claiborne discussing the city fines and lack of security – post fire
• March 2008 video update