VIDEO: Neighbors in northwest Springfield tell OzarksFirst it’s common to hear about a house fire nearby.
According to the Springfield Fire Department’s quarterly report, more than half of the city’s fires happen in Zone One.
Councilwoman Monica Horton, who represents that area, is aware of the rising issue.
“We have a housing shortage here in Springfield, and we certainly have issues with chronic nuisance properties that need to be addressed,” Horton said, “So we need to shore up our infrastructure in terms of assisting those who are experiencing housing insecurity, particularly post-pandemic.”
Horton said some of these older homes don’t even have smoke detectors. Now, the city and fire department are working together to raise awareness about fire safety.
“That program was called Project Red Zone,” Horton said.