$90 million lawsuit filed in deadly Orange Mound fire
The Commercial Appeal, October 9, 2008
Written by Lawrence Buser
Survivors of the seven people who died in an apartment fire this summer in Orange Mound filed suit Thursday against the property's owner, the city and others for allegedly allowing dangerous conditions to exist.
The Circuit Court suit says electrical problems at the rental property were ignored or were not properly repaired, that there were no working smoke detectors and that the triplex did not have at least two modes of exit.
Memphis fire officials noted apparent deficiencies with the property's electrical components, but said last month they have been unable to determine the cause of the fire because of the extensive damage.Survivors of the seven people who died in an apartment fire this summer in Orange Mound filed suit Thursday against the property's owner, the city and others for allegedly allowing dangerous conditions to exist.
It was one of the deadliest fires in the city's history.
The early-morning fire at 862 Baltimore on Aug. 16 took the lives of Melissa Poole, 38, and her children, 18-year-old Deon Poole, 9-year-old Diamond Poole, 7-year-old Dajanique Poole and 6-year-old D'Shun Poole, and their cousins, 4-year-old Arianna Poole and 1-year-old Rodney Poole.
Landlord Frank Holland, 80, is named as a defendant in the lawsuit along with several companies associated with him, the city and Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division.
Holland could not be reached for comment Thursday evening. He said last month he knows of nothing he could have done to prevent the fire, that there were too many people in the one-bedroom apartment and that "a thousand things" could have caused the fire.
"I'm not a slumlord," Holland told a reporter in the weeks following the fire. "I take care of my properties the best I can."
The suit, filed by attorney Jeffrey Rosenblum, asks for $90 million in damages.