9.11.24 – WUSA 9
Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed the Melanie Diaz Fire Safety act into law back in May.
High rises in Maryland don’t have to have working sprinklers until 2033.
Transcript
0:00
So let’s dive into that.
0:02
We’ve closely covered the push by lawmakers to require those sprinkler
0:06
systems and high rises since a deadly fire last year.
0:09
And Simone Di
0:10
Alba explains why a law to do just that
0:13
doesn’t apply here.
0:14
We’re talking about the deadly fire at arrived Silver
0:17
Spring apartments back in February of last year,
0:20
25 year old Melanie Diaz died from smoke inhalation trying to rescue her two dogs.
0:25
Investigators were never able to determine the cause of that fire,
0:28
but they tell us a lack of functioning smoke
0:30
alarms and sprinkler systems let the fire grow as
0:33
big as it did and it shortened the amount of time that people had to get out safely.
0:38
Now, since that fire,
0:39
Melanie’s family pushed for a law requiring that life
0:42
saving fire safety equipment in all high rise rentals.
0:46
Maryland.
0:46
Governor Westmore signed the Melanie Diaz Fire Safety Act into law back in May.
0:51
So why didn’t the apartments we just told you about have sprinklers?
0:55
Well, the law
0:56
here includes a grace period.
0:58
High rises in Maryland don’t have to
1:00
be retrofitted with working sprinklers until 2033.
1:03
That’s 10 years after the deadly fire that prompted the new law.
1:07
We know of roughly 80 buildings in Montgomery County that have not been retrofitted
1:12
with safety equipment yet
1:14
we also know the Diaz family’s fight for justice isn’t over yet.
1:18
A law firm representing her family says they plan
1:20
to announce a lawsuit connected to the fire.
1:22
This Saturday,
1:24
Melanie’s family says, quote, we do not want anyone else to go through the pain.
1:28
Our family has gone through
1:29
The defendants ignored the need to invest
1:32
in routine fire safety preventative measures.
1:34
And that choice cost us everything.
1:37
We’ll be sure to share the details of that lawsuit.
1:39
Once it’s announced this weekend, Simone Di
1:42
Alba W USA nine.