Fulton city officials are investigating conditions at a rental duplex, at 212-214 E. Sixth St. in Fulton, after a complaint was made about the property early Tuesday morning.
"We are going to get something done with that," said Les Hudson, planning and protective services director for the city of Fulton. "I think we have enough ordinances on the book."
After a neighbor called in a report of a gas odor, Fulton fire, utility and police arrived to find a sizable gasoline spill in the basement where property owner Daniel Nash, reportedly lives. Nash had apparently been working on a motorcycle.
Officials said Nash was smoking a cigarette during their visit.
Two of Nash's renters, who live on the west side of the property, were advised to seek other accommodations, according to Fulton Fire Chief Kevin Coffelt.
"We advised them there were unsafe conditions and we recommended them not to stay there," he said.
Coffelt said he offered to call the American Red Cross for the tenants to help them find other accommodations, but the offer was turned down. Later in the day, the tenants were seen moving.
While on the scene Tuesday morning, emergency personnel also gained access to the recently vacated, east-side apartment where they found a large amount of dog feces indoors.
"That place is in bad shape over there," Coffelt said. "Dog feces were piled up everywhere."
Also, the basement quarters had buckets of human excrement, according to Maj. Roger Rice of the Fulton Police Department.
"That place is a perennial issue; we deal with that on a regular basis," Rice said. "He's got buckets of human waste in that house because he has no utilities."
Nash does have a portable generator, Rice said, adding it's too bad that duplex fell on hard times.
"That was a nice place at one time," he said. "This has been going on for several years."
Other issues
For at least a month, old furniture and other debris have been piled near the sidewalk, then removed weekly by city workers. On Tuesday morning, a chewed-up mattress, multiple garbage bags and other trash was dumped in the front yard of the east-side apartment, along with a full city garbage container.
"It's a mess and it always has been," Hudson said.
Coffelt said emergency personnel have been called to the structure numerous times.
"In the winter time, we've been over there multiple times for different-colored smoke," he said.
Neighbors said Nash burns items in his basement in the winter for heat.
Coffelt said the west-side tenant said he has problems with his electricity. Coffelt also stated no smoke detectors were visible in his apartment.
There is little fire officials can do in these kinds of circumstances, according to Coffelt.
"You can't just go in there," he said. "There are so many rules you have to follow."
Condemnation of the building or a citation would be up to city officials.
Coffelt said they can investigate complaints, like Tuesday's complaint of a gas smell, and check combustion levels.
"Once the reading goes down under the combustible range, then we clear the scene," he said. "When we left today, there was still an odor but it was below the combustible range."
Hudson said city officials hope to have the place shut down within days.
"We are in the process and it will take a few days," he said. "We are putting forth a great effort to get something done."