FREMONT — Within the aftermath of the lethal Fremont condo fireplace which killed two individuals and injured two others, one displaced resident is taking the property proprietor to courtroom.
Haolin Zhang, a fourth-floor resident of the Waterstone Residences, was allegedly trapped on the balcony of his dwelling along with his canine and needed to be rescued by emergency responders on April 6, in keeping with a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Courtroom.
The fireplace, which erupted in a neighboring apartmentjust earlier than 3 a.m., killed two girls — Manteca resident Charlotte Holguin, 54, and Lori Lengthy, 62, of Fremont.
Eyewitnesses noticed the 2 girls dangle from a fourth-floor balcony, then plummet to their deaths earlier than firefighters may get a 35-foot floor ladder to them. Zhang alleges that the condo’s administration needs to be held accountable for accidents and different damages suffered by the handfuls of residents of the 30-unit constructing, a few of whom are unable to return.
Two different individuals had been injured in the course of the blaze at condo constructing positioned at 3939 Bidwell Drive, officers stated. Authorities stated the obstructing within the parking zone inhibited firefighters’ capacity to make use of an aerial ladder truck. The fireplace was thought-about underneath management about 3:40 a.m.
In courtroom paperwork, Zhang’s legal professional, Paul Starita, alleges the Waterstone Residences constructing “was not kept in a reasonably safe condition. The unsafe condition was a clearly visible, hazardous, dangerous condition on the property.”
The homeowners of the flats additionally “failed to properly implement their risk management and prevention policies and safety procedures,” in Zhang’s constructing, Starita wrote.
The Waterstone Residences, owned by MV-EPT Residences and managed by Pinnacle Property Administration Providers, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Thursday.
Starita stated in an interview that he was particularly involved about his shoppers publicity to particulate matter, which may comprise carcinogens, in the course of the fireplace. He added that it’s nonetheless too early to inform the extent of the attainable damages to Zhang’s well being.
“When you inhale that and that goes into your lungs, it’s not like you’re eating it. There’s no place for that stuff to go. There are known carcinogens that you are inhaling,” Starita stated.
Starita additionally stated his consumer and different neighbors could expertise signs of post-traumatic stress dysfunction as a result of they heard screams and fireplace alarms simply earlier than the 2 girls within the neighboring condo dropped 4 tales to their deaths.
“It’s a fire. People are deathly afraid of fire. The thought of being burned alive, I can’t think of a more horrible death,” Starita stated. “That impacts him, and I think that’s going to impact everyone in that apartment building. Whether they realize it initially or not, they’re going to be dealing with that for a while, and maybe forever.”
Zhang requests a jury trial and is suing the condo firm for “loss of use and enjoyment, loss of impairment of earnings and earning capacity, past, present, and future,” lack of private property attributable to the hearth and different damages, in keeping with the go well with.
