|
Six Die In Greenville Hotel Fire
JAN 26/2004 — An installed automatic fire sprinkler
system could have prevented a fire from spreading at the
Comfort Inn Hotel in Greenville, SC Sunday morning. The
fire caused six deaths and multiple injuries. According
to local officials, the five-story hotel, built in the 1980's,
was not required to have fire sprinklers because of the
codes that were enforced at that time. In a press release
issued by the American Fire Sprinkler Association, AFSA
President Steve Muncy said these tragedies will continue
to occur until all hotels and motels are required to have
fire sprinklers. "It is imperative that Congress pass
HR 1824, the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act, to provide tax
incentives to install sprinklers," Muncy said. "We
know the solution to this problem. HR 1824 will help hotel
operators pay for that solution." HR 1824, introduced
last April by Congressman Curt Weldon (R-PA) and Congressman
James Langevin (D-RI), will amend the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986 to classify automatic fire sprinkler systems as
five-year property for purposes of depreciation. This allows
the cost of the system to be depreciated much more quickly,
five years versus 39 years.
Update at May 9, 2006 ;
Committee to consider death penalty in 2004 Greenville
hotel fire case
(Greenville-AP) May 9, 2006 - Attorneys in the federal
case for the man charged with setting a hotel fire that
killed six people said Tuesday they will go to Washington
this summer.
The attorneys in the Eric Preston Hans case will meet
with the committee that evaluates whether authorities
should seek the death penalty.
The 35-year-old Taylors man has pleaded not guilty to arson
in the 2004 fire at a Greenville Comfort Inn. Eleven people
were also injured in that blaze.
Assistant US Attorney Regan Pendleton and Hans' defense
attorneys met for a status conference Tuesday in front of
US District Judge Henry M. Herlong Junior.
Herlong delayed Hans' trial in February to give lawyers
more time to handle the case.
Back to Hotel
Fires
|
