House of former neighborhood menace burns (Remember this story?)

[Kadie]

House of former neighborhood menace burns
Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 29, 2006 03 36 PM

(11-29) 15:36 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- The home of a San Francisco man who once tormented his neighbors by tracking them with surveillance cameras and blaring music from the roof went up in flames today, in what firefighters called an accidental blaze.

The two-alarm fire broke out just after noon near the water heater in Don Bertone's home at 336 Lathrop Ave., in a southeastern neighborhood known as Little Hollywood. Firefighters believe a spark from the water heater spread to a can of gasoline that Bertone had stored nearby.

The gasoline powered a generator that was supplying electricity to the home. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. cut off power to Bertone a few weeks ago while he was in jail, one of several stints he has spent behind bars this year as a result of his anti-social behavior toward his neighbors.

Bertone, 55, was upstairs when the fire started but escaped unharmed. Firefighters estimated that damage to the three-bedroom home totaled about $200,000.

Neighbors have long complained to authorities about Bertone, who once worked for the San Francisco Housing Authority and ran unsuccessfully for the Board of Supervisors in 2000. Bertone put up surveillance cameras, illuminated the street with floodlights, and blasted salsa and rap music and police scanner calls from rooftop speakers.

more...
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/29/BAG12MM6CK6.DTL

[Redstone]

1. I'm surprised it took so long for someone to torch his house.

You just don't ACT like that.

Redstone

[Kadie]

2. Now, now...

It was an 'accident'

:7

[Redstone]

3. Oops. Dropped that can of gas. Oops again, dropped the lit match, too.

Redstone

[ret5hd]

4. He did it himself...

How did his neighbors get in to his water heater? My guess is he's one of those upside-down on his house, an ARM that's eating his lunch, and those stints in jail didn't help his situation any.

[MadMaddie]

5. Well folks that is what we call Karma.....