Jury finds property owner, tenants of Bethlehem Steel site negligent in 2016 fire
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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- An Erie County jury unanimously found both the property owner and tenant of the Bethlehem Steel site in the City of Lackawanna negligent in the November 2016 fire that burned for days, Vinal & Vinal announced Tuesday in a statement.
The fire stretched five city blocks, sending plumes of smoke over the Bethlehem Park neighborhood, which had to be evacuated.
The owner, Great Lakes Industrial Development, and the tenants, Industrial Materials Recycling, were also found guilty of gross negligence, the statement said.
According to testimony, the building was poorly maintained and had no sprinklers, smoke and heat detectors, or alarms. The testimony also stated that the owner and tenants had prior knowledge of the lightbulbs exploding, which is believed to be the cause of the Nov. 9 fire.
Testimony stated that the owner and tenants were storing "a million pounds of ground plastic and plastic to be ground," which was described as being "highly combustible." It was also testified that the building was in need of being up to code with a proper "fire suppression system."
Both companies are owned by David and Dennis Franjoine and Robert Zuchlewski, who are being sued by first responders and residents who were injured or had property damage from the fire. They claim the incident wouldn't have happened if building and safety codes were followed.
Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here.