The parents and brother of Melanie Diaz, who died last year in a Silver Spring apartment fire, called on the Maryland General Assembly Tuesday to pass legislation that would strengthen fire safety measures.
Diaz, 25, died following a fire on Feb. 18, 2023 at the Arrive Silver Spring apartment complex. The blaze hospitalized at least 17 other residents and three firefighters and displaced nearly 400 individuals living in the Georgia Avenue building.
In the year following, officials have scrutinized the apartment complex because it did not have sprinklers in individual apartment buildings, only common areas. State law requires all high-rise buildings constructed after 1990 to have sprinklers, but Arrive was built before the sprinkler mandate went into effect.
Diaz’ parents and brother testified before the Maryland General Assembly House Environment and Transportation Committee in support of The Melanie Nicholle Diaz Fire Safety Act — which Del. Lorig Charkoudian introduced on Jan. 24.
The bill aims to strengthen fire safety measures, including notice in lease agreements and signage near building entrances that indicate if a structure doesn’t have sprinklers. Sen. Will Smith is sponsoring a complementary Senate bill.
“I promised to [Melanie] and everyone in Maryland I will fight,” Cesar Diaz, Melanie Diaz’ father, said. “We were supposed to see her a week after she passed in Florida. That never came.”
Arrive did not provide individual units with fire extinguishers, meaning residents had to use a shared extinguishers in the hallways, according to an investigation by the fire marshal released in April 2023.
During his testimony, Cesar Diaz set a box of fire extinguishers on the table. He bought them at Home Depot for less than $100, he said. Because they come with a 10-year warranty, the monthly cost over 10 years would be 83 cents.
“My daughter died for less than $1,” Diaz said.
Charkoudian said she’s spent the past year speaking with fire safety experts, building owners and apartment residents to make more informed decisions about the legislation. Full sprinkler-installation in high-rise buildings is the safest option for residents, she said.
Additional safety measures in the bill include fire training for residents, visual alarms for individuals who are hard of hearing and smoke detectors in hallways that align with National Fire Protection Association standards, Charkoudian said.
Jeff Buddle, president of the firefighters union Professional Firefighters of Maryland, said during the hearing that the lack of sprinklers, confusion among residents about evacuation routes and no functioning fire alarm in the apartment where the fire originated are all factors that contributed to the severity of the Feb. 18 fire.
“The passage of this legislation would lead to much improved fire safety requirements that very well could have prevented many of the issues that occurred with this fire,” Buddle said.
But some business owners are opposed to parts of the legislation because installing sprinklers and other fire safety measures in old buildings can be costly, according to Brian Anleu, vice president of government affairs for the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington.
Anleu said he’s in favor of most of the legislation, but does not support some of the proposed fire alarm and emergency light regulations that would be in compliance with National Fire Protection Association standards. These updates could cost building owners more than $1 million, which could be passed onto residents through rent increases, he said.
“Let’s study the issue with fire code experts over the interim, and then have them come back to this body and make recommendations,” Anleu said. “How do we make incremental changes without triggering full code upgrades that are going to be the most costly?”
The Diaz family, who lives in Florida, said they decided to push for improved fire safety measures in Maryland because they don’t want anyone else to experience the loss of a family member.
Cesar Diaz, Melanie’s brother who shares the same name as his father, said he has at times struggled to get out of bed since losing his sister and urged lawmakers to pass the legislation.
“My daughter was a beautiful, 25-year-old lady with a lot of future,” Zuleika Madera, Diaz’ mother, said. “You have the power to change and protect the community.”
Related:
89 Apartment Units Condemned Following Fire in Silver Spring
