(FeaturedNews.com) – Apartment fires put lives at risk and can result in terrible tragedies. Two such incidents recently devastated the lives of multiple families and are opening up questions about the overall safety of multi-family dwellings.
On January 9, a fire started due to a space heater in a Bronx apartment building. When the smoke cleared, 19 people had died, and 44 people suffered injuries. Of those lost, nine were children. It marked the deadliest fire in New York City in 30 years.
Nineteen people, including nine children, were killed on Sunday when a fire started by a malfunctioning space heater sent smoke billowing through a Bronx high-rise, officials said. https://t.co/v0n7fRM3S4
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 10, 2022
The biggest problem during the incident was the quick-spreading smoke, which officials said led to the deaths and serious injuries. Malfunctioning fire alarms did very little to alert residents because they had been going off frequently in recent days. Residents ignored the warnings, and by the time they realized there was an actual fire, it was too late.
Adding to the issues, the building, built in 1972, lacked fire escapes. As a result, many residents could only get out by jumping from windows.
This fire followed on the heels of another in Philadelphia, where 12 people died. Officials speculate the cause was a child playing with a lighter near a Christmas tree. Eight of those killed in that fire were children. This building was part of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, which said the occupancy at the time of the fire was too high, but it is unclear why so many people were in the units. In addition, none of the smoke detectors on the premises were in working condition.
With the news of these two apartment fire tragedies, is the government doing enough to protect renters? Should officials intervene to secure the safety of people living in multi-unit dwellings?
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