New records detail likely cause of Fremont fire where two women plummeted to their deaths

"Two women 62-year-old Lori Long and 54-year-old Charlotte Holguin died after falling four stories from Long's balcony during an April 6 fire that fire officials say erupted sometime around 2:50 a.m. Meanwhile, newly obtained Fremont Fire Department records show the blaze originated in Long's apartment and likely started after someone either left a cigarette burning on a combustible surface, or tampered with a butane lighter that caught something ablaze in the living room."

"FREMONT The families of two women who plummeted to their deaths in a Fremont apartment fire this year have filed lawsuits against the complex's management, claiming they had no way to escape and their deaths could have been prevented. Two separate lawsuits filed in Alameda County Superior Court accuse the firm that manages the Waterstone Apartments of negligence and failing to keep the 530-unit apartment complex safe."

Two families filed lawsuits against Waterstone Apartments management after two women fell from a fourth-floor balcony during an April 6 fire, alleging lack of escape options and preventable deaths. Fremont Fire Department records indicate the blaze began in Lori Long's apartment, likely from a cigarette or tampered butane lighter, and showed a charred, cluttered living area with drug paraphernalia, an electric bike, clothes, and cigarette butts. The two-alarm fire caused at least $500,000 in damages and required over 30 fire personnel. Inspection records document more than 280 fire-code violations across the complex, including inaccessible extinguishers, missing smoke detectors, and electrical hazards.

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