Everett orders property owner to install fire alarms after deadly New Year's Eve

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — A Washington city is ordering a company to install fire alarms on its residential buildings after a deadly apartment complex fire on New Year's Eve.

The Herald reports that the city of Everett says there were no fire alarms in The Bluffs apartments, a violation of city code.

The Bluffs are owned by a limited liability company in California and Hawaii. According to a letter from the city, the company has 90 days to apply for a work permit and six months to install the alarms after receiving the permit.

The Bluffs were built in 1969, before sprinklers were required. Unlike sprinkler codes, fire alarm rules are retroactive and required for apartment buildings with at least three stories or more than 16 units.

The complex is federally designated low-income housing.