The cause of a fast-moving blaze at a Georgetown apartment complex was accidental, fire investigators said. But questions about how a fire in a building equipped with sprinklers could spread so quickly remain.
Team 5 Investigates Sean Kelly reported that officials said the fire started on a balcony and quickly spread to the attic. State fire codes currently do not require sprinklers in the attics.
Building code officials in Georgetown said the sprinkler system in place did meet state regulations, but there are exceptions to the state code that allowed builder to leave attic spaces unprotected.
"It absolutely puts people in jeopardy, as well as the firefighters that are fighting the in the building," said Revere Fire Chief Gene Doherty.
Doherty insisted that sprinklers were installed in the attic space of a new apartment complex in Revere.
"It is the most sensible thing to do for the public -- absolutely," he said.
Some of the Georgetown victims thought sprinklers in each unit would be enough.
"I didn't buy apartment insurance. This place is brand new and it seemed very secure," said fire victim Louise Marsters.
The state fire marshal said existing sprinklers helped everyone get out of the building alive, but the current fire codes need to be changed.
"The next step is to look at the improvement of the sprinkler systems, build upon the success of life safety, but recognize the importance of property conservation," Massachusetts Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said.
Coan's office contacted the state Board of Building Regulations to ask them to amend the state fire code to make attic sprinklers mandatory to large apartment buildings.
