Letter: Buildings should just follow current rules

Regarding retrofitting pre-1975 high-rise condominium towers with sprinklers, and Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s veto of a bill to extend the time to comply: What no one mentions about the tragic Marco Polo fire is the possible culpability of the building management and, yes, a possible lapse in oversight by fire inspectors.

Please correct me if I am misinformed, but it seems that it was common practice of residents to not only have louvers in their entry doors, but also to open the fire doors at the end of the hallways for air circulation and cooling. This could be a reason the fire spread so rapidly and fiercely.

These practices, if true, are strictly against fire regulations and should have been recognized and prohibited by both the building management and fire inspectors.

I sympathize with our firefighters and applaud their courage, but please don’t financially penalize the rest of us for a fire that very possibly could have been minimized and contained to one unit if only the current regulations had been followed.

James Bouris

Waikiki

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