House Fire Ruins Must Be Demolished

The Vestubær Residents’ Council has requested that the City of Reykjavík take action on the demolition of a house at Bræðraborgarstígur 1, which burned down in the summer, Fréttablaðið reports.

The council presented the case at its meeting last week, stating that if the owner of the house doesn’t immediately comply with suggestions to remove the ruined house, the City of Reykjavík should have it removed at the owner’s expense, as outlined in the Construction Act.

The fire took place on June 25th, and a man in his seventies was charged with arson and murder. Three people died in the fire. The house has been empty and untouched ever since, despite investigations into the fire being completed.

The minutes of the residents’ council meeting state that smoke can still be smelled around the rubble and that there is a danger of children sneaking into the ruins and becoming hurt or trapped. The onset of cold weather also presents the risk of collapse. “The ruins also evoke bad memories and daily unrest for many who live there. It is important that the ruins are removed and the plot cleaned now”, the minutes say.

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