I was headed out to photograph the latest buildings on the docket for the Historic Conservation District Review Committee and ran into this fire. I was up early and heard the sirens. Apparently, there was a police chase and this Hummer ended up in this building which, subesquently, caught fire. I met the owners on the scene along with their relatives, the building was under repair, they were staying in Carrollton. Reverend Irvin Morgan and his wife Ethel stood by with tears in their eyes watching the tailor’s shop, which they operated out of this corner store property for years, burn to the ground.

Update:Karen and I went back this afternoon to try to photograph a property on our list and there was a police raid going on in an adjacent block. We proceeded around that to talk to the Firemen lingering at the scene. When I was there this morning, firefighters had done a cursory check of the scene and found no human remains. How the driver escaped was a mystery. This afternoon, no one on the scene had any more specific information regarding the situation. They only said, “It’s like Baghdad.” Upon listening to the local news, we have learned that this fire may have been the result of an improvised explose device (IED). As we saw first hand, the investigation into the incident continues. I felt uncomfortable taking photos of the police raid we watched unfold before us today on N. Miro St. out of respect for the NOPD and other agencies at work. We did not want to get caught up in an incident in which our safety, or theirs, was compromised. The Hummer itself had been removed.

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