***shudders***  Never heard of, nor care to visit, Rotten.com or anything like that.  Sounds reminiscent of that recent Diane Lane movie...can't recall the title. 

As for seeing real life hardships of Ethopia, etc., agree that more of our fellow Americans need to be aware of these truly heartbreaking daily struggles.  It would make more people more appreciative of what they have, and maybe inspire more to be charitable and a bit more compassionate and frugal.

I for one would not be taking pictures of my neighbor's burning house for any reason. 

Yeah, the more I look at it, the more to me it seems like a judgment call. You know, it's probably a system of standards certain people are used to. I'll tell you this: my parents would not have been proud if I took a picture of the neighbors' house on fire.

And honestly, even with my closest friend in the whole world, I don't think I could take a picture of their tragedy if it was happening. It does not seem right to me.

If a neighbors house is on fire, the first concern should be the safety of everyone who lives there, followed by doing whatever one can to help and console. If these two things are taken care of first, I guess I could excuse her actions.  Just not what I would do.

Emperor, I agree taking pics of a neighbors house while it's burning is not cool.

KsKBoys:

If a neighbors house is on fire, the first concern should be the safety of everyone who lives there, followed by doing whatever one can to help and console. If these two things are taken care of first, I guess I could excuse her actions.  Just not what I would do.

Well, this was all being determined while she was taking the pictures. She even took a picture of the ambulance.

I don't understand it. That's why I had to come to the people and get their opinion. You know, I was raised to call people "Mr." and "Ms." Then, somewhere in the 80's, that became an egregious error because the people thought you were calling them "old." So, I had to see what the consensus was.

Presto, yeah, I don't get it. I would never have done it.

The Emperor:

She even took a picture of the ambulance.

That would suggest that there were people inside the house at the time of the fire, and that she opted to take pics instead of offering help.  She should've called 911 and then done whatever she could to try and get people and pets out of the house.  Hell, even putting a water hose on it is better than taking pics of it.  If it's too dangerous to get near, then start hosing down other houses so they don't catch fire too.

McLovin:

The Emperor:

She even took a picture of the ambulance.

That would suggest that there were people inside the house at the time of the fire, and that she opted to take pics instead of offering help.  She should've called 911 and then done whatever she could to try and get people and pets out of the house.  Hell, even putting a water hose on it is better than taking pics of it.  If it's too dangerous to get near, then start hosing down other houses so they don't catch fire too.

I think we're starting to get to the root of the problem here.  Seems as if it was more important to her to get pictures than the safety and welfare of the people involved.  This all goes to motive.

Okay, this is getting out of hand. I'm going to look at the pictures and give you a description of what's going on.

Photo One: Flames are shooting through both ends of the house and there's a fireball on the roof. There appears to be a person outside the house.

Photo Two: More of the same; just a more in-depth shot.

Photo Three: Photo of the ambulance and police cars at the scene.

Photo Four: Firetrucks arrive and the roof is on fire.

Photo Five: The fireball on the roof has expanded.

Photo Six: The roof is melting from the heat and size of the expanding fireball.

Photo Seven: A wide angle shot of the same view.

Photo Eight: A picture of three people from a distance away, presumably sight-seers. I don't know for sure who these people are.

Photo Nine: A wide angle shot of the entire roof on fire.

Photo Ten: More of the same.

Photo Eleven: A firefighter is shooting the hose onto the roof in futility.

Photo Twelve: The fire on the roof has been put out.

Photo Thirteen: The roof is now completely black and destroyed.

Photo Fourteen: The firefighters are mopping up.

What do you think again?

McLovin:

The Emperor:

She even took a picture of the ambulance.

That would suggest that there were people inside the house at the time of the fire, and that she opted to take pics instead of offering help.  She should've called 911 and then done whatever she could to try and get people and pets out of the house.  Hell, even putting a water hose on it is better than taking pics of it.  If it's too dangerous to get near, then start hosing down other houses so they don't catch fire too.

 I wouldn't suggest trying that!  First off you should NEVER go into a house fire for any reason. (duh)   As for trying to help put it out, my good friends next door neighbor had a fire at his own house and was trying to spray it with a hose when the firemen got there.  They tried to pull him away from the house but he insisted that he was going to help put it out, so they called the police over and they cuffed him right there on the spot for "interfering" with the firemen.  I think he just got a fine, but still.

As for the ambulance being a sign of someone being in the house/hurt that's not necessarily the case.   My father was a fireman for years and as a rule ambulances are called to any fire call, just in case. 

They might let you hose down your own house, but generally they will move everyone away from any structures that might be close enough to catch fire.

The Emperor:

Okay, this is getting out of hand. I'm going to look at the pictures and give you a description of what's going on.

What do you think again?

Obviously I'm in the minority here.   FWIW I really don't take pictures, don't even have a camera phone....but I can't see anything wrong with taking photos of this, no matter what the reason (other than as I mentioned before, posting it publicly for ridicule of some sort).  In fact, I see no real difference between what she did and what anyone else standing around watching it did.    There's not much that you can do to "help" in a situation like that.   Unless you are a certified EMT or something, you'll just be in the way.

I hope that anyone who has read my posts here knows that I try to be respectful when dealing with others.   I say Sir and Ma'am, I try to always thank people when they do something for me, and generally try to be helpful and kind, but I just don't see how someone taking pictures of a house fire next door to them is in any way inconsiderate, disrespectful or rude.   I guess most people responding here do, but honestly the reasons for thinking that escape me.

If it were my house I certainly wouldn't think a thing of someone taking pictures of it.....just as long as they didn't START it themselves!

QB 09 2 81:

 I wouldn't suggest trying that!  First off you should NEVER go into a house fire for any reason. (duh) 

I totally disagree.  Obviously, if the house is an inferno, you wouldn't go in, but if you see a room on fire, then the right, proper, decent thing to do is try to get anyone who might be inside the house out to safety.  It's just basic human decency -- pure and simple.

As for trying to help put it out, my good friends next door neighbor had a fire at his own house and was trying to spray it with a hose when the firemen got there.  They tried to pull him away from the house but he insisted that he was going to help put it out, so they called the police over and they cuffed him right there on the spot for "interfering" with the firemen.  I think he just got a fine, but still.

As for the ambulance being a sign of someone being in the house/hurt that's not necessarily the case.   My father was a fireman for years and as a rule ambulances are called to any fire call, just in case. 

They might let you hose down your own house, but generally they will move everyone away from any structures that might be close enough to catch fire.

My comments were in regard to what one should do BEFORE the firemen show up.  Obviously, you wouldn't go out their with your water hose if the firemen are there with their hoses.  Many years ago, back when some houses still had wooden roofs, there was a fire in my cousin's neighborhood.  My cousin was just a boy at the time, but that didn't stop him from going to his next door neighbor's house (who had a wooden roof) and hosing the roof down.  It's the neighborly thing to do.  I don't know what things are like in your part of the world, but down here, we still believe in helping each other out.

McLovin

I have nothing against being neighborly, or being a "good Samaritan"...however it is clear in this case that the City Workers were on the scene, and there was probably nothing particularly constructive a young girl could do in that situation.

It is also a sad fact of modern life that trying to help people can get you into a lot of trouble......if, for example, you try to revive someone and fail, or if you revive them but they suffer serious injury, it is very possible that you could be sued for your actions......especially if you are not a certified EMT.

We have had a couple of backyard fires in my neighborhood and several people, myself included helped put them out, a house fire is a completely different situation however.

Even what seems to be a small house fire can be deadly, and unless you KNOW that there is someone in there who absolutely cannot get out on their own, there is NO reason to go inside.   One of my good friends ran into a burning house and saved a young boy when he was still in high school....he suffered serious burns but saved the kids life.   I consider him to be a hero, but he knew that the kid was in there before he ran in.

We don't know what this girl may have tried to do to help prior to taking the pictures, we don't know why she took them, so I wouldn't feel comfortable making judgements of her actions other than to say that I probably wouldn't even notice someone taking pictures if my house was burning down, and even if I did I would think nothing of it.

QB 09 2 81:

McLovin

I have nothing against being neighborly, or being a "good Samaritan"...however it is clear in this case that the City Workers were on the scene, and there was probably nothing particularly constructive a young girl could do in that situation.

It is also a sad fact of modern life that trying to help people can get you into a lot of trouble......if, for example, you try to revive someone and fail, or if you revive them but they suffer serious injury, it is very possible that you could be sued for your actions......especially if you are not a certified EMT.

We have had a couple of backyard fires in my neighborhood and several people, myself included helped put them out, a house fire is a completely different situation however.

Even what seems to be a small house fire can be deadly, and unless you KNOW that there is someone in there who absolutely cannot get out on their own, there is NO reason to go inside.   One of my good friends ran into a burning house and saved a young boy when he was still in high school....he suffered serious burns but saved the kids life.   I consider him to be a hero, but he knew that the kid was in there before he ran in.

We don't know what this girl may have tried to do to help prior to taking the pictures, we don't know why she took them, so I wouldn't feel comfortable making judgements of her actions other than to say that I probably wouldn't even notice someone taking pictures if my house was burning down, and even if I did I would think nothing of it.

Speaking of helping, my favorite was coming to the aid if a "damsel in distress" who is getting beat on by her boyfriend only to recieve a beat down by the both of them.  Sometime no good deed goes unpunished.

My neighbor is an asswipe and I wouldn't piss on him if he were on fire. So taking pictures of his house burning to the ground would probably bring a smile to my face. Plus, news crews do it all of time. They take pictures and stick their cameras into worse situations then some house fire. Some people have the stomach it for it. Some don't.

One of my brothers watches that Rotten.com without bllinking an eye. He's a sociopath, but that's besides the point. Me, I can't watch crap like that, it sticks with me for a few days.

shabazz

Speaking of helping, my favorite was coming to the aid if a "damsel in distress" who is getting beat on by her boyfriend only to recieve a beat down by the both of them.  Sometime no good deed goes unpunished.

I hear ya!   One of my best friends growing up became a Highway Patrolman when he got out of high school.  Less than two weeks after he started the job he got called to a domestic dispute between a man and his wife.   When they tried to break up the fight both parties turned on the Patrolmen......the man grabbed a knife and charged my friend.   He shot the man once in the chest and once in the head, killing him!

I've talked to a lot of LEOs that say that domestic disputes and dealing with drunks are two of the most dangerous situations they face.