What would you do?

[imamartian]

Didn't want to hi-jack this post
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=115753

But what should i do?
On the side of my house i have a carport that has a 7ft conifer hedge running up to it. Next to that is a footpath. Last weekend some *$%£^&% tried to set fire to the hedge. They burned a patch in the middle about 2ft sq, and then a patch a bit smaller where the hedge meets the (wooden) carport.

Now i'm not bothered about the hedge, it's coming out this spring to be replaced by a fence, but what does bother me is a fire next to a wooden carport in which i keep a car with petrol in it which is directly beneath a bedroom where my three young kids sleep.

It was done after 11:30pm and i can only imagine the damp weather stopped it taking hold....

But what do you do? I'm getting cameras installed in a week or so, but if the carport had caught, these scumbags could've murdered my kids....

 

[Bahco]

You should take whatever steps you feel are necessary to protect your family.

Act within the law though.

 

[imamartian]

trouble is, there are no legal steps to stop them.... i reported it to the police, but they just gave me a crime number... no one came out. And if they were caught, they'd just get a warning, or be out on bail and not show up at court..

 

[JohnD]

from what I hear, people who like starting fires tend to keep on doing it.

 

[gcol]

But what do you do?

Buy a diesel?
Personally, I wouldn't worry about the car port, but if it bothers you, you could replace it with a steel box section affair or even remove it.

 

[imamartian]

Gcol, i'm not bother about anything material.... i'm bothered that someone has attempted to torch a building attached to my house (that incidentally is my woodstore) and potentially kill my kids....

so tomorrow i'll take down my carport so they can't set fire to it.... and i guess i should get rid of my tv so no one can steal it, and then i guess i'll run away so nobody can do anything nasty to me...

 

[JohnD]

public footpath

Maybe a brick wall instead of a hedge or fence?

Or, cheaper, you can use concrete fence-posts but lay concrete gravel-boards in them instead of wooden panels.

Non-flam and resistant to people bashing them.

 

[gcol]

Gcol, i'm not bother about anything material.... i'm bothered that someone has attempted to torch a building attached to my house (that incidentally is my woodstore) and potentially kill my kids....

Yes I gathered that.

so tomorrow i'll take down my carport so they can't set fire to it....

Will you?

and i guess i should get rid of my tv so no one can steal it, and then i guess i'll run away so nobody can do anything nasty to me...

Now reading this makes me think that you won't take down the car port. What do you actually want? Do you want advice on how to make your house safe or are you more interested in sorting out the nice little boys that are trying to burn it down?

 

[imamartian]

I thought the fact that i'd added a link to a thread i didn't want to hijack about holding a grudge against people who vandalise and steal your property... might have made it obvious..

I understand and agree with the argument that says claim on your insurance for the tools or damage etc... but my situation is a bit different..
do i let it go, and hope they don't come back? Do i remove the carport and paint my house with flame retardent paint?... do i move house? do i wait in my car with a baseball bat?

 

[gcol]

I thought the fact that i'd added a link to a thread i didn't want to hijack about holding a grudge against people who vandalise and steal your property... might have made it obvious..

Not to me. I didn't look at the link to the other thread.
Merry Christmas.

 

[Tim 77]

Is this a one off incident or has there been any other attacks against you/your family or your property?

 

[imamartian]

Nothing like this. I get eggs thrown at the windows at Halloween etc. but i put up with that living on a footpath. But i think setting fire to my property is a little different.

Apparently, there have been other incidents involving conifers on other parts of the estate.

Do conifers burn well? or do they resist burning?

 

[scottster]

Have you thought about installing a heat alarm and interlinking it to one in your house so you know when it goes off?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=48423&&source=14&doy=search
This one is £13.

 

[securespark]

They burn well, but only once alight. Getting them going is awkward, unless you use an accelerant.

 

[libby lou lou]

The quickest and cheapest way is, cut away the brown, the green won't light, will it (sarcastic mood tonight)