Family Sues Landlord, City Agency After Fatal Fire

The families of a Baltimore grandmother and four children killed in a fire last year are suing the landlord and the Housing Authority of Baltimore City.

The Daily Record reports that the suit filed in Baltimore Circuit Court on Wednesday seeks $31 million from the authority and $18 million from the landlord based on the deaths of Nancy Worrell and four of her grandchildren. It seeks $8 million on behalf of two survivors.

The suit alleges Worrell warned landlord Paul Stanton that the furnace was not functioning properly. The suit alleges Stanton was responsible for maintaining the furnace and smoke detectors and the housing authority, which subsidized Worrell’s rent, was required to inspect the house.

Investigators determined that materials placed too close to the furnace started the fire.