This was a grand old house on the main drag of my town that had fallen into a state of incredible disrepair. Some developers purchased it and wanted to restore it to it's former grandeur, using the upstairs as affordable housing and the downstairs as upscale office space. However, when the engineers came in to assess the cost of the upgrade, it was discovered the foundation was crumbling, much of the wood was rotted, and the wiring would all have to be replaced. In effect, the house was beyond repair, so the owners contacted the fire department to come in, burn it down, and have a practice session with the entire volunteer fire department work a fire on an old wooden building. January 29, 2006.