Bill Targets Lightweight Wood Construction In New Jersey

TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A New Jersey lawmaker wants to freeze new multi-family developments from using the same lightweight wood construction that was used in an Edgewater apartment complex that was destroyed by fire two weeks ago.

Assemblyman Scott Rumana's bill would impose a two-year moratorium while the state evaluates the safety of light frame construction.

Firefighters have said the wood materials burn fast and there's little to stop the flames from spreading.

"The light frame construction is a lot of composite wood products, wood that is less bulky, and truss roof structures that allow for fires to roll through the tops of these facilities that the whole thing goes up in flames," he told WCBS 8880.

Rumana says his bill would stop future construction while officials evaluate fire and building codes.

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, who will decide whether the bill gets a hearing, questioned the need for an immediate moratorium.

Officials said maintenance workers using a blowtorch accidentally started the fire at Avalon at Edgewater, which left hundreds homeless.

In a statement last month, AvalonBay's Chief Construction Officer Michael Feigin said the Avalon at Edgewater community "was built using wood frame construction, a standard, common, and safe construction method for multifamily housing used throughout the United States."

"The community was built in accordance with the fire and safety codes applicable at the time," he said. "The purpose of those codes is not to prevent the building from burning down, but rather to ensure that there is sufficient time and opportunity for all occupants to exit safely in the event of a fire."

There have been no allegations of building code violations at the apartment complex.

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