New fire safety laws aim to prevent another tragedy, like Bronx high-rise blaze that killed 17
NEW YORK -- Mayor Eric Adams is set to sign new fire legislation into law Wednesday, in wake of the deadly blaze that killed 17 people in the Bronx.
The package of bills includes new laws requiring landlords to address any self-closing door violations within two weeks.
Landlords will no longer be able to certify any door repairs without approval from a city inspector, and the city would be required to reinspect buildings cited for a violation within 20 days.
Under the legislation, the sale of electric space heaters without certain safety features will be prohibited. These features include an automatic function that disables the device upon tip-over or overheating.
The January fire at the Twin Parks complex was caused by a malfunctioning space heater. All the doors in the building were supposed to be self-closing, but the apartment door where the fire started did not close, allowing the fire and smoke to spread.
