Fire marshal: Genetti Apartment complex fire accidental

WILKES-BARRE — A state police fire marshal determined the deadly fire at the Genetti complex on Jan. 25 was an accident.

Pennsylvania State Trooper Deanna Piekanski, public information officer for Troop P Wilkes-Barre, said the fire marshal concluded the cause of the fire was accidental. Additional details were unavailable Monday.

One man died in the fire that also displaced 124 people from the six-story apartment building known as the Redington Hotel/Efficiencies on the corner of East Market Street and South Pennsylvania Avenue.

A relief effort by the United Way of Wyoming Valley, the American Red Cross Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter and the Salvation Army is underway to help the people displaced.

A preliminary report of the property done by Jason Humenanski, a certified building inspector with Construction Consultation Services Inc. of Plains Township, the day of the fire said there was substantial damage throughout the six floors.

“Due to the possibility of immediate danger, under no circumstances should rooms be occupied at this time,” said the report prepared for the city and provided to Gus Genetti.

Genetti could not be reached for comment.

The report listed safety and security issues. The fire melted and affected many of the fire alarms. There was fallen debris in the corridors as well as fire, water and smoke damage.

Apartment doors and amenities throughout the building were either damaged or broken, the report said.

The electrical panels had sustained water damage and the staff notified to shut off power to them to ensure against the risk of electrocution or fire, the report said.

The report said room 309, where the fire started, was a total loss. Rooms 409 and 509, above the origin of the fire, have structural issues, the report said.

The first and second floors had “substantial water damage,” while the third, fourth and fifth floors have “substantial fire, water and smoke damage,” the report said.

The report recommended “direct supervision” of occupants allowed to retrieve possessions from rooms minimally affected. But entry of rooms “drastically impacted” should be restricted.

As for reconstruction of the property, “it is unclear at this time if this building would be allowed to be reconstructed in the same manner it was originally constructed,” the report said.

Under the 2015 International Building Code residential occupancies must have a sprinkler system installed and, it cannot have a “V-B construction” of combustible materials, the report said.