'It was avoidable': New bills on fire safety, holding landlords accountable introduced following Twin Parks fire

Elected officials are introducing new legislation to strengthen fire safety laws after the Twin Parks fire that claimed the lives of dozens in the Bronx.

News 12 Staff

Mar 24, 2022, 4:43 PM

Updated 996 days ago

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Elected officials are introducing new legislation to strengthen fire safety laws after the Twin Parks fire that claimed the lives of dozens in the Bronx.
The package of bills introduced by Council Member Oswald Feliz Thursday is centered around fire safety, building codes and holding landlords accountable.
The fire started due to malfunctioning space heaters and spread through the building because the self-closing doors were not properly functioning.
The new legislation aims to strengthen laws for those doors by lowering the amount of time property owners have to correct self-closing door violations to 10 days. The bill also introduces fine and penalty increases up to $1,000 for those violations and mandates the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to reinspect all self-closing doors.
Agencies and landlords will be required to provide information on evacuation procedures and fire escape information in multiple languages. As officials continue to learn more about the fire, they say additional fire safety protocols will be introduced in order to keep families safe.