La Cygne council orders hearing on dangerous property; prevents residents from returning home
- Roger Sims
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
By Roger Sims, Journal staff
LA CYGNE – A fire in the attic of a residence on Tuesday, April 14, has led to the residents of a duplex 825 N. Seventh St. Court in La Cygne banned from returning to their homes until the structure is made safe – not from fire damage but from safety issues resulting from construction work being done on the building.
Zachary Mathies, who serves as both the public health officer and police chief for La Cygne, made a request for two emergency resolutions; first, to cause the structure to be vacated and second, for a hearing concerning the safety of the residence be held on May 3.
Mathies told the council that the most recent incident was the third fire at the structure since September 2025. The first two incidents happened on the same day after a fire involving the improper disposal of a cigarette was followed by fire reigniting in the attic.
Mathies showed the city council a slide show on the computer screen in the council chambers. Numerous photos of unsafe wiring included images of loose wires being attached to electrical panels without covers, wiring not attached to framing members, and a burned electrical meter were included in the presentation.
Other structural problems included floor joists being cut away for stairs without proper framing support, roof framing that had been compromised from previous fires, and water damage to ceiling and plywood flooring in an upstairs bedroom.
Mathies also said that four bedrooms used by children in the basement lacked any windows or any other easily accessible means of escape and that the only potential exit other than stairs were “coffin” style doors on the outside of the house that would be difficult to access.
He estimated that eight children lived in the residence, but he was not certain how many adults lived there.
“Photographs of the interior conditions were provided to a licensed contractor for review,” Mathies said in his written report. “The contractor advised that numerous code violations are present and recommended that a licensed structural engineer evaluate the property prior to any repair, reconstruction, or re-occupancy. Based on the cumulative findings – including repeated fire damage, significant structural compromise, and hazardous electrical conditions – it is my professional determination that the structure presents a serious risk to public safety.”
He also indicated that both units A and B of the duplex were being run from a single electrical meter, and that wiring from one side to the other was unsafe as well.
The council first passed a motion to publish a resolution that a hearing be held before the city council on June 3 at 7 p.m. to determine if Unit A should be condemned.
While the hearing will be condemnation proceedings, the council can determine if the structure can be rehabilitated enough to make it safe.
A second resolution was then passed directing Mathies to immediately put up barricades around both Units A and B and forbid anyone to live in the dwelling.
The structure had been closed for a couple days since the fire at that point, and Mathies said that he would make arrangements for the residents' belongings to be removed from the structure.
Mathies told the council that there was nothing to indicate that Unit B was in the same condition and was not included in the condemnation resolution.
However, Dan Nasalroad, public works head, pointed out that because the units shared a common wall, it would be difficult to demolish one without damaging the other.
Councilmember Kent Wade thanked Mathies for bringing the issue before the council. “We don’t want the children to get hurt,” he said.
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