One year ago, Salt Lake City's Fire Station No. 2 in the Marmalade neighborhood caught fire, causing extensive damage and forcing nine firefighters to receive treatment for smoke inhalation. The station remains shuttered as crews continue to work on the building.
Now four firefighters have filed notices of claim, indicating they may take legal action against the municipality for negligence and violation of the city's own fire code.
Among the allegations is that there were no smoke detectors in firefighters' sleeping quarters, contributing to unspecified injuries to the firefighters when the two-alarm fire broke out at 1:27 a.m.
Although one smoke detector did activate during the March 2, 2015, fire, it was improperly installed and did not go off until flames broke out, rather than when the rags were in the smoldering stage, according to the claimants' documents, obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune through an open-records request. The firehouse at 270 W. 300 North did not meet code for such buildings, they say.
A City Hall spokesman said the municipality does not necessarily agree that the claims are accurate. But Matthew Rojas added that he could not be specific in his response and was limited by the threat of potential litigation.
The Fire Station No. 2 blaze was caused by oily rags, according to all four claimants — the third of four such fires at Salt Lake City Fire Department facilities since 2011, according to the document. It was the second fire at Station No. 2; the first one broke out there April 8, 2013.
Fire Station No. 2 had previously undergone about $1 million in renovations in 2011 — work that Hoffman said was improperly performed.