Did you read the freakin' story?
Who said anything about it coming off "as a controlled burn"? The place is packed floor to ceiling with UNSTABLE HIGHLY-EXPLOSIVE compounds. If they move some of them, they're certain some will explode. They can't let a house sit in a neighborhood with this kind of volatility. So, the prudent measure is to evacuate people to a safe zone, and hope that the fire will burn the chemicals, rather than acting as a catalyst for an explosion. Either way - safe burn, or massive explosion, it's better than letting it go up on its own, or when someone is inside trying to remove the materials.
It's a risk, but it's the most managed risk.
I guess you just rather leave them there, and put up a no-trespassing sign.
Ever worked with explosives?
...didn't think so.
And yes, I did read the story and they're absolutely nuts!