Near several active recreation areas in Kauguri, Jūrmala, a building that had been in a state of disrepair for several years burned down, reports the show Degpunktā (TV3). A year ago, the city council mandated the owner of the house to carry out landscaping work, but now this issue will be examined in more detail, considering that access to the property is unrestricted and minors have previously been seen on the premises.
The sounds of sirens, flames, and clouds of smoke filled the residential area around Lauku Street in Kauguri, reports TV3. For several hours, firefighters battled the blaze to extinguish a fire covering an area of 100 square meters. The building is surrounded by high-rise buildings, so most residents in the area heard about the fire. Those interviewed noted that different people are present in the building every day.
"Maybe children were playing there or homeless people were warming up," suggested one woman living in the area.
Another eyewitness recounted: "I only saw the flames. It was already burning fiercely. (DP: Do you think it was intentional?) Well, maybe children run around there after school. You know, they go there all the time. And then something happens there. Maybe they set it on fire, I don’t know."
The owner of the house has not been seen for a long time. There used to be some activity here, but recently only those who should not be there have been on the premises. One local resident mentioned that there were allegedly "artists" in this building.
The company "Meru arhitekti" is registered at this address. The show "Degpunktā" contacted them, and the company stated that they once registered their legal address here because they maintained friendly relations with the owner. They have no further connection to the premises, and they plan to re-register the company at a different address soon.
The building on Ledurgas Street belongs to the company "Katarus," registered at 57 Skolas Street. No one opened the door to the apartment for the "Degpunktā" film crew, but they managed to speak with one of the neighbors: "I don’t know where she is now. (DP: Does no one live there anymore?) I don’t know, maybe she went to her son. She really started going down a bad path. At one point it became quiet here, and that was it. She only told me that she has a son, but as far as I understand, he is outside of Latvia."
It has not been possible to determine what damage has been caused to the owner of the building and what is planned for the property in the future. However, the city council has already begun actions to assist in bringing the area into order.
On February 27 of last year, the Jūrmala council decided to classify this building as a threat to public safety and a degradation of the environment.
No one in the Jūrmala municipality was willing to speak on camera. The council sent a written response, explaining that an enforcement order has been applied to the building's owner — fines, and that the property must pay an increased tax rate.
At the beginning of this year, the owner received a mark of compliance with the conditions for starting construction work, which includes the demolition of the building. Given the current situation, the municipality will contact the owner to discuss further actions to bring the property into order.
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