Fire Ruled Accidental; Residents Suspicious

The Cambridge Fire Department concluded that a kitchen accident started the fire that destroyed a market street apartment building Thursday, but a tenants defense group yesterday said the ultimate blame may rest with the landlord.

Several members of Eviction Free Zone, a tenants defense group, suggested that the building's deteriorating condition may have constituted a fire hazard and one leader said the possibility of arson is a "lingering concern."

The tenants marched to City Hall just weeks ago to protest unsatisfactory living conditions in the four-story building. They said their landlord, Alex Steinberg, was ignoring their maintenance complaints.

Some residents think the fire's occurrence so soon after the protest may be more than a coincidence, according to Steve Meacham, an Eviction Free Zone Leader.

"There's no evidence that it's arson...but since nobody likes the landlord, it was the first question in everyone's mind," said Meacham.

"We know that [Steinbergh] has noticed that tenants are becoming more organized than in the past," said Laura Booth, another Eviction Free Zone leader.

"Arson is stretching it, but it is a lingering concern," she said.

The residents suspicions are strong enough that the tenant organization may hire an independent party to investigate the blaze, Meacham said.

"Based on tenant discrepancies we might get an independent investigator," he said. "We want to see if we have any explanations."

"It doesn't look right to us," said Judith A. Glaubman, another member of Eviction Free Zone. "To everybody it looks strange."

Steinbergh, a prominent Cambridge landowner, strongly rejected the tenants suspicions and said the police report indicated tenant negligence, not management malice, caused the fire.

"I can see that the tenants might complains." Steinbergh said. "But it didn't happen to be us who set it."

"I can see that the tenants might complain,"Steinbergh said. "But it didn't happen to be uswho set it."

Fire officials said yesterday that a babybottle warming on a kitchen stove started thefire, which left approximately 70 residentshomeless.

Authorities also said conditions inside theapartments did not contribute significantly to thefire. Officials said the age of the buildings mayhave been a factor "The general structure ofold-type buildings make them more susceptible tofires," said Captain Gerald Reardon of theCambridge Fire Department. "Also, a lot ofcombustibles would make it harder to put out thefire.

Tenant organization leaders maintained thatstructural and maintenance deficiencies may haveaffected the fire.

"A lot of the apartments are in bad repair, andthe questions are whether there was a firehazard," said Booth.

Steinbergh acknowledged that the Market Streetbuilding may have had some minor code violations,but insisted that building conditions were not afactor in the fire.

He added that every building in Cambridge hasminor code violations.

The building's tenants are now staying withfriends or relatives in the city, or in Red Crossand Eviction Free Zone financed residences ormotels.

Many of them will be forced to find a new homebecause the burned apartments will not be repairedfor at least six months, Meachem said.

The tenants were each paid $750 from thebuilding's insurance to cover relocation expenses,said Steinbergh.

Tenant Felix A. Perez, 33, is temporarilystaying at a Howard Johnson motel with his wife,three children and brother-in-law. He said he isunemployed and discouraged about his situation."Now it's a mess." Perez said. "Many people arehomeless and looking for new apartments.

"I can see that the tenants might complain,"Steinbergh said. "But it didn't happen to be uswho set it."

Fire officials said yesterday that a babybottle warming on a kitchen stove started thefire, which left approximately 70 residentshomeless.

Authorities also said conditions inside theapartments did not contribute significantly to thefire. Officials said the age of the buildings mayhave been a factor "The general structure ofold-type buildings make them more susceptible tofires," said Captain Gerald Reardon of theCambridge Fire Department. "Also, a lot ofcombustibles would make it harder to put out thefire.

Tenant organization leaders maintained thatstructural and maintenance deficiencies may haveaffected the fire.

"A lot of the apartments are in bad repair, andthe questions are whether there was a firehazard," said Booth.

Steinbergh acknowledged that the Market Streetbuilding may have had some minor code violations,but insisted that building conditions were not afactor in the fire.

He added that every building in Cambridge hasminor code violations.

The building's tenants are now staying withfriends or relatives in the city, or in Red Crossand Eviction Free Zone financed residences ormotels.

Many of them will be forced to find a new homebecause the burned apartments will not be repairedfor at least six months, Meachem said.

The tenants were each paid $750 from thebuilding's insurance to cover relocation expenses,said Steinbergh.

Tenant Felix A. Perez, 33, is temporarilystaying at a Howard Johnson motel with his wife,three children and brother-in-law. He said he isunemployed and discouraged about his situation."Now it's a mess." Perez said. "Many people arehomeless and looking for new apartments.