Sarasota Herald Tribune reporter Kim Hackett continues her reporting on the homeless living on our greater Sarasota County backlots — with her excellent second article in her series — Fire Threatens Homeless Surviving in Paradise.

Here’s a quick excerpt — but you’ve really got to read both articles (see my post from Sunday, December 19 for the first of this two-part series).

“Pirates Cove stands apart from most homeless camps in the region for its longevity and its amenities. The improvements came along with diminishing hope that the residents would be able to get out of the woods anytime soon. Discarded plywood turned into an all-day project to build an outhouse. Tents have been added and reinforced with tarps. A defunct Kenmore refrigerator, donated by a preacher, doesn’t keep boxed potatoes and rice cold, but does keep away the raccoons.”