Report: Workers Who Sparked Edgewater Fire Never Called 911
EDGEWATER, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Documents show maintenance workers who sparked a fire that destroyed an apartment complex in New Jersey, leaving 500 residents homeless, never called 911 for help.
A review of dispatch logs and 911 tapes revealed no record of any employee alerting authorities as the Avalon Bay blaze, which started when two workers tried to fix a leaky pipe, grew into an inferno on Jan. 21 in Edgewater, NJ.com reported.
Report: Workers Who Sparked Edgewater Fire Never Called 911
Firefighters were first notified of the blaze by the building's automated fire alert system.
Initially it was reported the workers tried to extinguish the flames themselves and waited 15 minutes before reporting a problem, WCBS 880's Sean Adams reported. It turns out the workers never called 911 and instead notified a supervisor, NJ.com reported.
Of the six 911 calls made to report the fire, none were made by AvalonBay employees, Edgewater Police Chief William Skidmore said. The delay in reporting the fire was a factor in the destruction, the police chief said. Officials also pointed toward the lightweight wood construction which enabled flames to spread quickly.
Kurt Conway, Senior Vice President of Brand Strategy at Avalon, said "local authorities and the company continue to investigate this incident -- while that review is in progress, it is inappropriate to provide details at this time.''
PHOTOS: Edgewater, N.J. Apartment Complex Fire
Residents have filed three lawsuits.
The inferno destroyed about 500 people's apartments and about 500 more were displaced from an adjacent complex.
This wasn't the first time the same apartment complex has been engulfed in flames.
In August 2000, the complex was under construction when a fast-moving fire tore through it. The flames also destroyed a dozen surrounding homes, displacing up to 70 people.
The 2000 fire was ruled accidental by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. No deaths or serious injuries were reported.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
