Weeks after a fire killed two sisters at a rental in the Hamptons, the homeowners are being issued dozens of violations.
Peter and Pamela Miller received 29 violations each at the Noyack home, Newsday reported. The 58 total violations were issued for illegal renovations and alterations, as well as missing safety measures.
The fire that occurred during the morning hours earlier this month killed Jillian Wiener, 21 and Lindsay Wiener, 19. When personnel arrived on the scene after being called at 3:35 am, the house was fully engulfed in flames. Officials said the sisters were found unresponsive and were pronounced dead at a hospital.
Lewis Wiener, 60, Alisa Wiener, 52 and their son Zachary, 23, managed to escape the home and were treated at an area hospital. Zachary jumped out of a second-floor window to survive. Police said the family was vacationing in the Hamptons from their home in Potomac, Maryland.
Officials believe the fire started in an outdoor kitchen before spreading to the rest of the home. The homeowners did not have a permit for an outdoor kitchen.
Problems found by fire officials also included disconnected or battery-less smoke detectors, missing carbon monoxide detectors and plumbing and electrical issues. Notably, Southampton Chief of Emergency Management Ryan Murphy said the violations issued were not related to the deaths.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office is set to review the case and weigh additional charges.
The homeowners also lacked a vacation rental permit and did not undergo a safety inspection, which is part of the rental permitting process. First-time violators of the rental permit law could face fines between $150 and $1,500 and/or 15 days in jail.
Newsday’s editorial board recently called for enhanced databases on rental permits and fire safety so renters have a stronger sense of the condition of the home they plan on vacationing in.
— Holden Walter-Warner