EVERETT, MASS. (WHDH) - Two landlords will be arraigned on criminal charges Tuesday in connection with a massive blaze that broke out at a multi-family home in Everett and left two firefighters with serious burn injuries last summer, Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan announced.
Muddasir Bari, 63, and Nargis Bhatti, 55, both of Everett, are accused of violating building codes at a home at 15 Morris St., where a three-alarm fire sent residents scrambling for their lives on July 13.
Bari and Bhatti have been charged with wanton and reckless disregard of fire or building codes that result in serious bodily injuries under the Comprehensive Fire Safety Act.
The blaze, which was sparked by an overloaded electrical circuit, quickly ripped through the home as firefighters frantically worked to contain it.
A pair of firefighters were rushed to a Boston hospital after a wall of flames knocked them back.
“Firefighters put themselves at risk whenever they respond to a fire and that is why there are laws in place to minimize risk to first responders and to the public. In this case, through their alleged violation of the building codes, the defendants are alleged to have created a dangerous situation that ultimately led to two firefighters sustaining serious injuries,” Ryan said.
About 20 residents were displaced by the fire.
Bari and Bhatti are slated to appear in Malden District Court.
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