Man found living in a bunker underground
By Dan Herbeck NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Updated: 05/29/07 6:40 AM
James ONeill calls it the most amazing thing he has seen in 23 years as a Buffalo firefighter.
Sunday, while investigating a fire, ONeill found a man living in a six-footdeep underground bunker in an isolated area of the northern section of the city.
The bunker has heat, lights, insulation, a bedroom with a foam bed and a fireplace. It also has a bathroom, ONeill said.
Its not the Marriott hotel by any means, but this man has made it comfortable down there, ONeill said. He cooks his meals, eats and has been sleeping down there for about six years.
Some people would call him homeless, but hes a clean, well-spoken guy. When I spoke to him, he was reading a novel by Joseph Wambaugh.
The bunker is 20 feet long and 16 feet wide and is divided into two rooms essentially, a bedroom and a bathroom, ONeill said. It has a ceiling made of wood and roofing material. The bedroom walls are covered with insulation and plastic tarps. The bathroom has a small portable toilet. The man told ONeill it took him two years to dig the home.
He told me its a peaceful and tranquil place to live, said ONeill, who works as investigator in the city fire marshals office. ONeill told a reporter about his visit with the man Monday night but would not reveal the mans name or the specific location of the bunker home.
I dont want all kinds of people going out there and bothering this man, ONeill said. He has a ladder leading down into the place, and I had a very eerie feeling going down there, like something from Psycho. But it wasnt bad at all down there.
The fire investigator said the man is a 47-year-old military veteran. The man occasionally makes a few dollars doing odd jobs. He uses old car batteries to light his bunker home. He cooks food in a hot pot.
The man enjoys living in isolation but has some strong opinions, ONeill said.
Hes got an Honor Indian Treaties sign inside the place and a Go Sabres sign outside it, the investigator said.
Rent free for six years, I'm jealous!
