Melanie Diaz Act: Montgomery County strengthens fire safety laws after Silver Spring death
New fire safety standards years after Silver Spring woman's death
Melanie Diaz was killed in a fire at a high-rise apartment in Silver Spring in 2023. The smoke alarm didn't go off and the building didn't have enough sprinklers to contain the fire. Now, Montgomery County fire officials are implementing new safety standards.
SILVER SPRING, Md. - New legislation was introduced in Montgomery County on Saturday to enhance fire safety standards and improve firefighting equipment, years after a Silver Spring woman was killed in a fire at her high-rise apartment.
Honoring Melanie Diaz's legacy
The backstory:
Melanie Diaz was killed in a fire at her apartment building in 2023. Investigators said the fire alarm never went off, and the sprinkler system wasn't sufficient to control the flames, costing Melanie her life.
Her family returned to Maryland this weekend from Florida, determined to make sure no other family has to suffer the same loss.
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'She was a great person': Family mourns loss of daughter killed in Silver Spring apartment fire
The family of Melanie Diaz, the woman killed in Saturday's deadly fire at a Silver Spring apartment building, says she filled everyone's life with happiness.
What they're saying:
"We promise to my daughter and to the community to fight every single day," said Cesar Diaz, Melanie's father. "Life is priceless. You can replace a house or a car and everything. You cannot replace a life."
Melanie's brother, Cesar Alejandro, said he was angry after his sister died, "angry at the people who did nothing to prevent this. Angry at the people who continued to do nothing."
The Melanie Diaz Act
What we know:
So, Melanie's family turned their grief into action. Working closely with Montgomery County leaders, they advocated for new state and local fire safety legislation, called the Melanie Diaz Act.
The act strengthens tenant rights by requiring building management to inform residents of emergency plans, and providing 24-hour access to a building representative during emergency situations.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family who lost daughter in Maryland apartment fire takes part in emotional bill signing
Meanwhile, more than 70 residential high-rise buildings in Montgomery County still lack full sprinkler protection, the most of any county in the state.
The Diaz family also supported fire and rescue operational changes designed to improve survival, like adding sprinklers, working smoke alarms, fire-resistant corridor doors and more.
On top of that, the Diaz family donated $10,000 to purchase smoke evacuation masks, which give victims critical extra time to escape from a building fire.
"Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the Diaz family, every fire engine, every ladder truck and every heavy rescue squad in Montgomery County will now be equipped with evacuation smoke hoods," Montgomery County Fire Chief Corey Smedley said.
The family said that Melanie wanted to make a difference in the world, and that this is how they're helping her do that.
What we don't know:
FOX 5 did reach out to the apartment building where Melanie was killed for comment, but no one was available to talk.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Montgomery County Fire Department, the family of Melanie Diaz and previous FOX 5 reports.