Monroe Station in Big Cypress reduced to ashes after steel wool spin shot gone wrong

Now, this is why we cannot have nice things.

While I am not enjoying saying this, it looks like photographers are slowly earning the bad cred that authorities are giving them. After shuttering a 126 old statue for a selfie, it is now revealed that the fire on The Big Cypress Monroe Station last month was probably caused by a photographer trying to spin steel wool for a light paining photo.

In a press release by Bob DeGross Chief of Interpretation and Public Affairs at Big Cypress National Preserve, it is stated that:

The suspect confessed to entering Monroe Station and climbing onto the roof to conduct “Spinning” also known as “painting with light”. “Spinning” involves taking a piece of steel wool that is lit and swinging it in a circular fashion which produces a photo similar to a giant sparkler.

Two additional men from the ground photographed the event. It appears that during the photography activity a fire was sparked. The three men stated that they tried to put the fire out, but it spread too quickly and they fled the scene.

Here is the coverage of the original fire

Back in the ’20 where gas stations were also meeting points and convenient stores and restaurants and, well, gas stations, Monroe Station was one of six stations built across the Tamiami Trail and one of two remaining stations to this day (or to April). The station has been boarded and vacant for about ten years, but hey, this is still not a reason to burn it down.

This sad incident joins the burning of the S.S. Point Reyes in California in March, again for spinning steel wool. That is two strikes for the community in one month.

While it is easy to say that those were two isolated incidents, I think that they are showing just another side of “everyone is a photographer” wave that is watching over us. Any minimal research on spinning steel wool will have safety and careful location selection as the two most important things.

[via Big Cypress Sportsmen’s Alliance Inc]

Robin

So its been empty for 10, 28, or 30yrs, if it meant so much to everyone why was it left to rot. As for the brain dead guys, ?
- ext237
  
  Historic landmarks inside national preserves are significantly underfunded, both by tax payers and donations. This makes restoration extremely difficult and preservation is limited to chain-link fences. So as a tax payer and person who didn’t donate (I presume) to the building’s preservation, the poor condition of the building is partly your fault.
  - Robin Horton
    
    Those who presume are usually wrong, and how is it my fault if I have never heard of the building before and live in a different country idiot?
    - Daniel Alexander
      
      God bless you Robin!
      - Daniel Alexander
        
        I used to eat lunch there with my family when I was 5 or 6 years old! I am 65 now! The building is in the everglades and you pass by it on the way to Miami! We passed by it every time we went to my grandmothers house and we stopped and ate on ate there!
- Daniel Alexander
  
  30 years! It has been boarded up for ten years. I saw it just before it burned and it was very sad shape!
Photosquare.in

I always knew I will hear this news sooner or latter that photographer burnt down house while playing with iron wool.SAD
Jim Hayes

Many years ago While on patrol for the Game Commission I would stop there and watch the Friday Night fights. Good Times