Derelict house next door a safety hazard says resident

An east side Detroit woman says there's a fire threat next door to her. It's a two-story vacant house that sits just feet from her home.

It's been a cute cozy home for more than 40 years for Maxine Jones. But next door - not so cute. Maxine sleeps upstairs with her daughter who has special needs. 

They fear a lightning strike or arson would be disastrous. 

Maxine a longtime community activist is her neighborhood president. She  has asked different Detroit mayors about the blighted vacant house next door on Seymour at MacCrary on Detroit's east side.  

She's called city hall from Mayor Coleman Young to Kwame Kilpatrick with no results.

"My thing is, why don't they get these absentee property owners and make them tear the houses down," Jones said. 

Now some good news for Maxine, after FOX 2's interview with her, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's staff tells Fox 2 they promise to step in and help Maxine fix this problem. 

What's happened is the entire block is stuffed with vacant houses. Maxine has.a good neighbor on one side but, next door the haunted house. Same thing across the street and along her block. 

She vividly recalls seeing east side firestorms threaten entire city blocks. 

"Because once this one starts burning then that one, then my car and then my house," she said.

The Mayor's staff tells us they'll research the property next door to Maxine to determine the best solution.