Suit Faults Owner In Otis Hotel Fire

Wed., March 26, 1997

From Staff Reports

The sister of a man killed in a Spokane hotel fire and a woman injured in the blaze are suing the business owner for negligence.

Helen Honeycutt and Vita Young filed the lawsuit in Spokane County Superior Court last week. They are seeking unspecified damages.

Honeycutt is the sister of Charles R. Williams, 78, who was overcome by carbon monoxide during a Feb. 7 blaze at the downtown Otis Hotel. Williams died four days later.

Young, identified by authorities as Williams’ wife, was injured in the fire.

They claim owner John Ha did not place functioning fire and smoke detectors in the hotel’s 174 rooms, or provide adequate escape routes.

Ha’s negligence led to Williams’ death and Young’s injuries, according to the lawsuit.

Efforts to reach Ha were unsuccessful. Otis manager Hal King said his employer “has nothing to say on that.” King declined further comment.

Fire Chief Bobby Williams said after the fire that the Otis Hotel does not have smoke detectors in every room as required by the state’s Landlord-Tenant Act.

The building has a fire alarm system with smoke detectors only in corridors and heat detectors in rooms.

Heat detectors generally activate more slowly than smoke alarms. Temperatures must reach 135 degrees to set off most heat detectors.

, DataTimes

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