Pocono News Section

Wilkes-Barre Mayor Seeks Emergency Demolition Funds

Wilkes-Barre Mayor Seeks Emergency Demolition Funds - Monday, October 22, 2007 at 6:27PM EST

Monday, Oct 22, 2007 @06:27pm EST

Wilkes-Barre mayor Tom Leighton says he’ll seek emergency county, state, and federal funding to knock down a smoldering building.

The Murray building on Courtright street in Wilkes-Barre caught fire Sunday morning, and burned through the night.

Fire fighters sprayed down what's left of the Murray building here in Wilkes-Barre.

Investigators are searching for the cause of Sunday's massive fire.

Meanwhile, neighbors still continue to demand the eyesore be torn down.

"it should have been done years ago. I've been living in this house for a good 10 years, and that place has been like that ever since then. I understand the city has it's hands tied to a certain extend, but they've got to do something," says neighbor Jack Meddings.

Meddings and other neighbors watched the buildings go up in flames Sunday morning.

Vacant for years, the building used to house businesses like central slipper, where Paul Kohl worked for nearly 20 years.

"it was a good place to work. It was like family, but them days are gone," says Kohl.

Other neighbors like John Karazia want the building gone too.

He and others here insist the massive structure is a haven for the homeless.

Karazia says, "i think it's got to come down. It's a hazard to everybody."

The fire was so powerful that right now, the day after the fire, ash and debris like this line the streets up to 3 or 4 blocks around the building.

Neighbor Dave Wickham says "it should just be leveled. I have five little kids over there that had to breathe in smoke all day too."

All Monday morning and afternoon Wilkes-Barre fire investigator Bill Sharkniss was on the scene.

From a fire ladder above the fire, he and other fire fighters are looking into exactly what caused the blaze.