Luxury apartment fire that displaced hundreds sparked by plumbing repair

EDGEWATER, N.J., Jan. 23 (UPI) -- A fire that devastated a luxury apartment building was ruled to be an accidental result of construction repairs gone wrong.

The fire started when workers were doing plumbing repairs, and spark spread through the walls and the building. Questions surround why the fire was able to spread so quickly and do such severe damage. Gov. Chris Christie said there will be a review to see if the building was up to code. Avalon, the company that owns the complex, said it was built to code, which is focused on saving lives rather than the building.

"There was nothing suspicious about it, and we have complete verification, and there's no doubt about it," said Edgewater Police Chief William Skidmore. "It's just a tragic accident."

Five hundred people are homeless as a result. The fire started Wednesday evening and by Thursday morning 200 of the 408 units were up in smoke.

There are no missing persons but several pets are believed to have died.

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Luxury apartment fire that displaced hundreds sparked by plumbing repair