One year anniversary of deadly Arrive apartment fire in Silver Spring

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of the deadly fire at Arrive Apartment in Silver Spring that took the life of 25-year-old Melanie Diaz.

A year later, Maryland lawmakers are still working to create new laws to keep tenants safe while honoring Diaz’s life.

The fire happened on Feb. 18, 2023, killing Diaz also forcing hundreds of others to evacuate and condemning nearly 90 units.

In a report released a few months after the fire, that report showed investigators could not determine the cause of the fire but investigators did not believe it involved criminal activity.

That fire last year sparked a debate about fire safety and sprinklers with Maryland lawmakers.

A fire safety bill known as the “Melanie Diaz Sprinklers Save Lives Act” bill did not make it out of the Maryland 2023 legislative session.

Report on deadly Silver Spring apartment fire released

The bill would have done a few things including requiring smoke alarms in public corridors in high-rise buildings, prohibiting landlords from requesting reimbursement from tenants for the cost of installing certain smoke alarms and would have required sprinkler systems in certain high-rise buildings by 2033.

A similar bill named after Melanie Diaz is working its way through this year’s Maryland legislative session.

But this new bill; ‘Melanie Nicholle Diaz Fire Safety Act’ would establish requirements regarding installing certain fire safety equipment in residential rental high-rise buildings, also requires buildings without a sprinkler system to clearly say so in the lease agreement. The bill also says to create a group to develop fire safety best practices for high-rise buildings built before 1974.

The Senate version of the Melanie Nicholle Diaz Fire Safety Act bill looks to be scheduled for a hearing on March 1.

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