NEW YORK – The lead FDNY fire marshal investigating a fire that claimed a firefighter says the building’s electrical system was tampered with by a film crew using the building for a movie.
According to the Daily News, Fire Marshal Scott Specht claims he was retaliated against by Chief Fire Marshal Thomas Kane, Deputy Chief Fire Marshal J. D. Lynn and FDNY Assistant Commissioner Carlos Velez for refusing to sign off on the cause of the March 22, 2018 fire.
Firefighter Michael R. Davidson of Engine Company 69 died in the fire after becoming separated from his unit. The fire, which eventually went to five alarms, involved a brownstone apartment being used as a film set for “Motherless Brooklyn”, directed by Edward Norton. Five other firefighters were also hurt during the fire.
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In May the FDNY stated that the fire was caused by a boiler venting heat onto nearby combustibles in the cellar and that the building’s sprinkler system had been shut off. This directed the blame to the building owner. The Daily News says that Specht refused to agree with that assessment.
Instead, Specht says there was evidence that the film company, Class 5 Films, illegally tampered with the electrical system and that wood screws were found piercing electrical wires. Photos of the boiler, obtained by the Daily News and reviewed by retired FDNY fire marshal John Knox, allegedly contradicts the claim stated by the FDNY.
Specht also found a tampered electrical outlet and electrical cables being run into the boiler room preventing the operation of the self-closing door. Specht also noted evidence of illegal repair work on the boiler and the possible illegal installation of a circuit breaker panel.
An official with the FDNY says that Specht’s claim is based on a conflict his lawyer and Knox have with Lynn.
Geovanny Lampkin, lawyer for the building owner, noted that there was significant electrical use at the building especially at the time the fire occurred and that there is no knowledge of any permit requests. Lampkin went on to tell the Daily News that ten former fire marshals did a walk-through of the structure after it was released by the FDNY and nine of the ten ruled out the boiler as the cause of the fatal fire.
Class 5 Films denies having caused the death of Firefighter Davidson and asserts they complied with the law regarding permits. They also denied tapping into electrical lines or having used combustible material.
In court documents Specht claims that he was retaliated against for not agreeing to the boiler finding and for reporting his claim to the city’s Department of Investigation. He also claims his retirement was blocked and that he was pulled from investigations and placed on desk duty without being given reason.
