HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Six Huntington buildings which were marked with “eviction” notices this week are now available for residents to live again. The Huntington Fire Marshal removed the eviction notices Thursday and replaced them with signs which read “Do Not Enter, Unsafe to Occupy.”
The fire inspectors found a myriad of state fire code violations in the six buildings, three of which serve as fraternity houses. About 40 Marshall University students living in the structures were forced to find alternative housing just as the semester got underway.
“The most significant life safety concerns involved compromised or inadequate means of egress, deficiencies with the fire alarm systems, and compromised interior construction and compartmentation. Each of the six properties had a local fire alarm system installed. At the time of the initial inspections, every system was either in a trouble condition or was not operational,” read the Fire Department release.
Now, some are back living in the same buildings. So what changed?
The Huntington Fire Department put out a detailed explanation saying the owner of the properties, Dennis Johnson, decided to change the properties’ occupancy classification. They were listed as “lodging or rooming houses” which subjected them to the West Virginia State Fire Code. However, now they are classified as a one or two family dwellings and are exempt from the state fire code. Occupancy has been reduced and access to the third floor has been blocked.
Now that there’s a new classification, the Huntington City Inspector will have the task of looking into the properties. The Huntington Fire Department no longer has jurisdiction. In their statement the city fire Marhsal however was adamant they do not recommend anyone living in any of the buildings.
“The Bureau of Fire Prevention has not made a determination that these buildings are safe as a result of the occupancy change. The change in classification does not, by itself, correct the physical conditions documented during the original inspections. Rather, the change places the properties into an occupancy classification to which the State Fire Code does not apply in the same manner.” said the release.