If there is one lesson to be learned from recent fires in vacant industrial buildings, it’s the value of being proactive.

Ease of access to a little-used building that formerly housed Jamestown Royal Upholstery contributed to that massive fire in 2021. Ease of access and the presence of flammable materials contributed to last year’s fire at a former Crawford Furniture manufacturing plant on Allen Street.

Federal EPA filings on the agency’s involvement at the former Crawford site are eye-opening. City officials had been proactive at Crawford, getting the EPA involved when it appeared the building was a legitimate safety hazard. The building was unsafe, with walls and various sections of the roof falling in, damage done by squatters and the presence of chemicals that created conditions for a fire. As some hazardous materials were removed, more drums of material began appearing.

The ensuing fire was something city officials likely saw coming.

The EPA file is eye-opening as one thinks about other vacant buildings in Jamestown.

They may not look as bad from the outside, but what’s inside that people can’t see? What hazardous materials were left that EPA officials or, frankly, city firefighters should know about? Are the buildings secure so they aren’t damaged by squatters?

And, lastly, what are the current owners’ intentions? Because the best way to prevent an expensive fire and even more expensive site cleanup is to have a new use for these industrial relics.

City officials were right to be taking action at 1061 Allen St. They need to continue doing so in other vacant industrial buildings too.