GOING, GOING, GONE

News Herald by Kathryn Penrose Richard Overman, of Overman's Tree Service, operates equipment to clear the remains of a condemned structure on South Street. Once debris is hauled off the ground will be smoothed, leaving no trace of the former residence that was condemned after a house fire. Kilgore code enforcement oversaw the demolition of yet another condemned house yesterday on South Street.

This was the third demolition of this kind since the start of the fiscal year.

The houses have been demolished and their lots cleared by Overman Tree Service, a Kilgore company specializing in tree trimming, stump removal and structure demolition.

Overman's is paid by the ton for structure removal.

Thomas Overman, business owner, said the demolition and removal of the condemned homes takes approximately two days from start to finish.

The first phase of the actual demolition calls for a Kilgore Fire Department tanker truck to hose down the area with enough water to soak the structure and surrounding property, which keeps dust and debris to a minimum during removal.

Justin Windham, city code enforcement officer, said the city has several more houses slated for demolition in fiscal 2009, in an effort to rid the city of unsafe and unsightly structures that plague neighborhoods and entry corridors.