Last night at 2308 Grays Ferry, there was an open flame burning at the Odunde office, which was closed, dark, and locked.

This building, at the intersection of Kater and Grays Ferry, is next to businesses, residential houses, apartments, and places like Grace, the Balkan Express, Sweet Pea, Newman Galleries frame shop, the computer repair shop, and other places that could really suffer from a fire.

The candle was on the floor, against the wall, next to a sculpture, and a glass of clear liquid. Is it the policy of Odunde to leave a candle burning overnight?

The fire department reviewed the situation, and stated that they would check on the flame and try to contact the owner.

Thank you for bringing the Odunde's 'overnight open flame policy' before the the Blog--sounds like it was close one. Whew! Now that we're all aware of it, maybe we should organize some sort of 'watch rotation' each night so someone can sit outside and make sure they don't do it again.

Hey that's hilarious, until someplace you like burns to the ground. Is it stupid to ask if anyone knows someone who can take this to Odunde? They made a mistake; we are all neighbors, and fire in Philly where houses are adjacent is no joke.

The fire department took it very seriously. Perhaps someone who goes into Odude regularly can let them know that they left an unattended candle burning. Ask any fire dept. employee how many fires are caused by forgotten burning candles. Not too bright.

Not to single out ljlong, but I think there is a lot of hostility towards Odunde in the SWCC area. I'm still new to the hood, (3 years), Odunde happens on my stoop, and I think its awesome. So I'm not to sure where this comes from, but I'm sure there is a lot of history.

I'm not sure hostility plays a role about Odunde per se except that an open flame in Philadelphia is extremely careless and could really cause a tragedy. Loss of life, loss of property. My reaction would be the same for any residence or business.

I would go and "yell" at Radovan if he left a candle burning also. If I had written "Grace" or "Sweet Pea" people would be writing "OMG, how could they do that?"

I'm sure it was an accident, but this is the sort of accident that we need to not let keep happening as neighbors looking out for one another.

Sometimes the neighbor who is a pain is the neighbor who makes the place livable.

here's an idea.
how about next time you see that, you take time from your busy blogging schedule and write a "note" on a "peice of paper" and put it under the door, or even tape it with "tape"

or better yet, walk into the offices when they are open and ask them about it. Do yourself a favor, actualy talk to the people in the nighborhood instead of doing EVERYTHING from this damn computer.

calling the fire department was the right thing to do at the time the candle was burning, but asking on this board about who to speak to is a little bit ridiculous. talking time to point out the actual names of all the businesses that would suffer from this horrible calamity, you could have written 20 notes...simply stating 'You shouldn't leave candles burning at nite unattended"