Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
The owner of a large commercial structure in Union City, Pennsylvania that was destroyed by fire last December, has filed suit against a volunteer fire company and the Borough of Union City.
Carl Boone, owner of a 210,000 square foot building that formerly was a furniture manufacturing facility for Ethan Allen, claims that firefighters failed to do enough to extinguish the fire, and failed to use the building’s built in fire protection system (which I assume means the sprinkler system).
The fire was reported to have been started by workers using a torches, but the lawsuit alleges it was actually started by vandals using cutting equipment to steal scrap metal.
The suit was filed on October 21, 2011. GOErie.com reported that the complaint stated: “There was a predetermined decision by the Union City Fire Department that if the building ever caught on fire, Union City Fire Department would not attempt to extinguish the fire but would instead operate as a ‘controlled burn structure fire.'”
It is unclear if the suit was filed by Boone’s insurer as a subrogation action or by Boone himself. I am trying to get a copy of the complaint so stay tuned. More on the story.
