7 months after Edgewater fire, officials renew plea for tougher laws

EDGEWATER (WABC) -- Seven months after a massive fire that left 500 people without a home in Edgewater, fire officials on Sunday renewed their plea for tougher laws.

The January fire quickly spread through the complex, destroying nearly half of it. Following the destruction, the Bergen County Fire Chiefs Association led a push for tougher state laws. During an event in Edgewater on Sunday, the association said legislators promised action, but no new laws or regulations were put into place.

Suggested improvements to the fire code include reducing the size and height of lightweight buildings, increasing the number of sprinklers, and requiring masonry concrete firewalls between buildings.