NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A couple living in the Bronx apartment building where a deadly fire killed 17 people have filed a $1 billion lawsuit against the building’s owners, according to reports.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of couple Rosa Reyes and Felix Martinez in the Bronx Supreme Court on Tuesday against the four owners of the 333 East 181st St., according to the New York Post.
The lawsuit claims that the building owners knew about the dangerous conditions in the building and should be held responsible for the couple’s “severe and permanent personal injuries and/or property damage,” according to The Post.
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WABC-TV and WNBC-TV report that the lawsuit is seeking $1 billion from the property owners and management.
It is the first lawsuit to be filed in connection with the fatal fire.
FDNY officials on Monday said the massive blaze was caused by a faulty space heater located in a duplex apartment that spanned the second and third floors.
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The flames were contained to the unit, but a possible malfunctioning door that was meant to be self-closing remained opened, allowing smoke to billow through the 19-story building, according to FDNY officials.
The 17 residents that were killed in the fire died of accidental smoke inhalation. Their identities have not yet been confirmed.
FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro told 1010 WINS Tuesday it might never be known what caused the self-closing door in a second-floor apartment duplex to malfunction.
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“All we know was that it was open all the way ... whether it jammed on the floor, whether the mechanism was too weak to close it or something else prevented it, all we do know for sure is that door that could have closed behind him and prevented these deaths did not,” he said.
Nigro said investigators may be able to determine what caused a door on the 15th floor to remain open, which “contributed to the spread of the smoke.” The cause could be released this week.
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