Family who lost daughter in Maryland apartment fire takes part in emotional bill signing

SILVER SPRING, Md. - There are new laws on the books that fight even harder for Montgomery County’s around one million residents – about half of them renters. The new laws are thanks in part to two Florida parents who have been fighting for change ever since their daughter was killed in a downtown Silver Spring apartment fire last year. 

Those parents took part in a more emotional bill signing ceremony on Thursday, alongside the Montgomery County Executive, Fire Chief, Councilmembers, and tenants’ rights advocates. 

Cesar Diaz is the father of the young woman killed in the Silver Spring apartment fire. His voice broke as he told the audience, "I promised to my daughter and the community to fight for her."

READ MORE: 'She was a great person': Family mourns loss of daughter killed in Silver Spring apartment fire

Diaz and the victim’s mother helped usher in the "Tenant Fire Safety and Notification Bill 7-24."

The bill was passed earlier this summer and now requires landlords, in their leases, to clearly state whether the building or dwellings have automatic sprinklers, clearly state who’s responsible for replacing items damaged in an emergency, provide their emergency plan, notify residents or tenants of service disruptions – and now provide a 24-hour hotline so building staff can be reached in an emergency after hours.

"This is the beginning for something big. You know, I don’t want to say it make me happy because it’s not. That is something we have been working for – and we have been working for the last year in a half for this. Like I say behalf to everybody, I promised everyone in my daughter in my community to fight for her … fight for their rights because I don’t want anybody having the same pain we feel as family," said Diaz after. 

The Florida father has been pushing for change ever since his daughter, 25-year-old Melanie Diaz, died trying to escape a fire inside the massive Arrive Silver Spring Apartments in February 2023. The Georgetown graduate was found in a stairwell with her dogs – the smoke just too much for them to withstand. 

At least one other person was also injured and several more were displaced by the fire. 

It was also reported at the time that the Arrive Silver Spring Apartments building did not have automatic sprinklers. There is a law requiring older buildings to be retrofitted for them, but they have until 2033 to do so. 

In the meantime, Councilmember Kate Stewart introduced this fire safety bill after both Diaz’ death and another 2023 incident where power went out in a senior citizen building. 

READ MORE: Grieving father champions Montgomery County fire safety bill in daughter's memory

"I was there the weekend of the Arrive Fire talking to our emergency service folks, talking to our fire department about what happened. Talking to the 100s of residents that were displaced. And the lack of information about where to go, how to evacuate, what to do, the lack of the information –  some of them were shocked to know they didn’t have sprinklers in their apartment because the building was recently renovated -- and this is all information that if people had had it ahead of time, you know we could only image how we could’ve prevented loss like the life of Melanie Diaz, so I absolutely think this is going to make a big difference," said Councilmember Stewart. 

Councilmember Stewart told FOX 5 The Grand apartment complex in Bethesda is the apartment building that lost power. Its generator also failed, leaving seniors without needed devices. She described the heat in apartments rising to dangerous levels with absolutely no one to call, because the senior apartment complex never shared who could be contacted in an emergency after-hours.  

FOX 5 is told Diaz’s parents are also working, pushing for changes state-wide as well and that Maryland State Delegate Lorig Charkoudian got a bill passed that requires landlords post signage if their building does not have automatic sprinklers. Cesar Diaz noted on Thursday, he already found a building not complying.