It’s been almost five months since the fire at Twin Parks apartment complex in the Bronx killed 17 people, including eight children. Mayor Eric Adams signed a new legislation Wednesday that lawmakers hope will prevent another tragedy.
One of the initiatives the law does is increase penalties and fines for buildings that violate self-closing door requirements. In the aftermath of the deadly fire in January, the FDNY reported that despite the fact that all the doors in the Twin Parks complex are supposed to be self-closing, the door for the apartment where the fire started did not close.
The department also found that a malfunctioning space heater started the fire.
Another law in the package would make it illegal to sell space heaters that don't have safety features to lower the risk of a fire. All 17 deaths at Twin Parks were caused by smoke inhalation.
Lawmakers say they also want to work with the city to educate residents on what to do in case of a fire. The proposed legislation was sponsored by Bronx City Council Member Oswald Feliz.