A property at 205 Frey where Great Bend safety officials found multiple fire and health hazards, including makeshift electrical and sewage systems, will be the subject of a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21, during the City Council meeting. It will be determined if they are unsafe and dangerous.

In addition, there is trash and refuse on the property including mattresses, furniture, scrap metal and general refuse that need to be removed, There are numerous vehicles on the property that have flat tires and are either not displaying current registration, and/or are not in operable condition.

Great Bend Building Inspector Logan Burns said he was contacted by Barton County Dispatch on the afternoon of Nov. 19, 2021, regarding the property. Officers of the Barton County Sheriffs Office, Great Bend Police Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation were serving a search warrant at the residence, and three arrests were made in relation to the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

When officers saw the condition of the property, they requested Burns respond as well. He arrived with Fire Inspector Mike Smith and they started investigating. 

The report noted:

• There was a camper parked along the south fence line. 

• Outside of it was a residential water heater sitting directly against the camper with no clearance and garden hoses were piped directly into the hose connections. 

There was no natural gas hooked up to the unit, but the occupants had hooked up propane to the natural gas water heater, as evidenced by scorching on the outside of the burner cover. 

• On the inside of the camper was a homemade fireplace that had been in use and was not installed correctly, nor would it be allowed to be used inside of a camper. 

• In the main mobile home structure, they found a gas generator that had been in use and was powering Christmas lights for light in the structure. There was exposed wire in various locations in the structure. They also found five car batteries that were wired together that were then wired to an extension cord to run lights. 

• There was also a fireplace installed inside along the south wall and it was not installed correctly, nor would it be allowed to be installed in a mobile home. 

There was evidence in front of the fireplace that it had burned through the floor previously and it was covered up by some wood and metal material.

• The entire inside of the structure was cluttered with combustibles that, given the circumstances with all the mentioned hazards, could start a fire or cause a dangerous situation to occur. 

• Outside of the structure, the property was littered with trash and refuse and approximately eight vehicles. 

• There was a generator that was hooked up to an extension cord that was then hooked up to the camper. 

• There was a “temporary” and illegal sewer line that was hooked up from the camper over to the mobile home and disappeared behind the skirting of the mobile home. 

After going through the entire property with all the above-mentioned hazards, Burns made the call to turn off the water to the property. 

“There was no electrical service or gas service, but I did call Kansas Gas Service as the existing gas riser for the property that came up next to the mobile home had been damaged and could cause future issues,” Burns said. “The company was going to terminate the service connection in the alley.”