Over 40 violations found in apartment complex where fire killed baby girl

By Joe Fisher

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    CARY, North Carolina (WRAL) — A Cary apartment complex is expediting repairs in the wake of a fire that killed a baby girl and left her mother with severe injuries.

Inspectors found more than 40 violations in recent days. However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Most of the violations are critical of the property’s fire extinguishers, which require an annual inspection — and have not been inspected in more than two years. Other violations range from stairway repairs to a fire hydrant blocked by bushes, missing covers on electrical boxes and exposed wires.

It’s still too early to know if this played a role in stopping Monday’s fire, but the apartment complex says they have scheduled inspections for next Tuesday.

This was the second fire at the complex this year, with damage from a fire the previous month still covered by a tarp. Investigators say that fire was caused by a discarded cigarette on a balcony.

Fire reports also show three fires in 2019. One was caused by a water heater, and another by the heater inside one of the units.

During the fire, which destroyed 12 apartment units, at least five people had to leap from their balconies to find safety. Cary firefighters had to rescue three people from the flames, including a 28-year-old Marymegan Santiago and her baby girl, Marlee.

Only 9 months old, Marlee died at the hospital. Her mom is still being treated for serious burns.

“No words can express the pain from our tragic loss of baby Marlee,” wrote Marymegan’s husband. “We are praying for a speedy recovery for all victims, especially my wife.”

Just days before the fire at the Aurella Cary Apartments, inspection reports reveal more than 30 violations of fire extinguishers, each with outdated inspections.

The extinguishers were last reviewed in December 2019, but inspections are required annually. The report indicates two extinguishers were missing and two others were not charged.

Stephen Tew, who owns American Fire and has inspected extinguishers for nearly 15 years, says this could lead to a very dangerous situation.

“If [an extinguisher] is not charged, you are not going to be able to put out a fire,” he says. “It doesn’t work.”

While some businesses and property owners wait until inspectors find violations, Tew recommends more frequent, monthly inspections.

“I think people would be surprised how sometimes I will find chewing gum stuck inside the nozzles, especially if you have them outside in your shed or businesses at gas pumps or whatever,” he says. “And dirt dobbers also get inside of these, and believe it or not they won’t work.”

Other violations included emergency lights not working and electrical hazards like exposed wires.

Harbor Group Management, which took over the property in January, told WRAL News, “The electrical repairs, mostly minor items, were completed shortly after the inspection. We are accelerating the preventative maintenance work already scheduled which includes review of unit conditions, and inspection and repairs as necessary.”

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the most recent fire.

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