A basement fire last week caused by a tenant’s illegal
construction has furthered concern among city officials about the
potential effect of code violations in Hollister.
A basement fire last week caused by a tenant’s illegal construction has furthered concern among city officials about the potential effect of code violations in Hollister.
The Hollister Fire Department and building officials concluded late last week the fire at 564 Fourth St. on March 31 occurred because a tenant illegally converted the basement into a living space without a permit, and a portable heater that was covered with clothes caught on fire, according to Fire Marshall Mike O’Connor.
“Based on what we’re seeing, it’s very common here,” building official Ray Proffitt said of the illegal addition and the hazards that became reality last week.
O’Connor added, “It’s a problem everywhere.”
Proffitt pointed out two major problems represented by the fire at the Fourth Street home. Without permits, residents often add electrical outlets and lights, he said, and they use heaters illegally.
“It’s a sitting target waiting for an electrical fire… It can create an overload,” he said.
The landlord of the house was not aware the family of six had annexed a room in the basement, according to O’Connor.
He pointed out the room’s poor ventilation and wiring. Additionally, it contained a refrigerator, lights and a stereo – all on one circuit.
“Where in a normal house, it’s on two different circuits,” O’Connor said.
He mentioned other problems with the converted unit, such as undersized windows. The federal Uniform Building Code mandates windows in every conversion room, which must be large enough for escape in the case of a fire.
“Secondary exits are required by law,” he said. “We may lose a family or children or something like that.”
In this case, no one was hurt. A family member, Lupe Canizalis, 20, told Code Enforcement Officer Tim Burns one of her brothers would occasionally “go down there (the basement) to hang out,” according to Burns.
Proffitt and other officials who toured the scene agreed that evidence – including sheet rock and furniture – indicated permanent inhabitancy in the basement. And even if the landlord had applied for a permit in this case, Proffitt said, there would have been “no possibility” for approval for several reasons, including a low ceiling.
Burns said the fire was “a problem created by the tenant,” although better communication between the landlord and occupants may have prevented it.
The house has since been posted as “Unsafe to Occupy,” and will remain so until electrical contractors can make appropriate changes to the wiring and improve the fire safety of the building, Proffitt said.
In the meantime, it was unknown whether the family found shelter.
They do not qualify for the city’s recently approved code ordinance, which mandates a “relocation assistance fee” to be paid by landlords when their negligence causes displacement of tenants. In this case, officials said the tenants were at fault.
Officials emphasized they do not discourage conversions or construction additions, as long as the resident receives a permit for the work.
“Anytime anyone does that kind of stuff, they should go through inspectors,” O’Connor said. “That’s what we’re there for. They should go through the proper channels.”
