Easton City Council hears update on federal investigation of Hotel Hampton fire | Easton Area

EASTON, Pa. – A federal investigative report on the devastating fire that rocked downtown Easton is in the spotlight.

Easton City Council held a meeting Tuesday night to hear an update on the fire that tore through the Hotel Hampton back in February.

Council members listened to an update on the nearly 30-page federal investigative report, that details a behind-the-scenes look into the fire that hit too close to home for residents and businesses downtown.

Years before the Hotel Hampton went up in flames, federal investigators said there were a slew of unsolved problems.

A report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety said the building had not been inspected for nearly a decade.

That’s due to a shortage of staffing, according to investigators.

“The city of Easton welcomes the recommendation and views them as an opportunity to further strengthen its already strong operational foundation. And at the same time, it is important to clarify that the actions taken by Easton personnel were appropriate given the information and resources available at the time the incident was dispatched,” says Easton Fire Chief Henry Hennings.

The report said leading up to the fire, the fire department made numerous requests for city officials to conduct inspections, but those requests were not followed through.

Following the fire, code enforcement and the fire department are coming together to rework the way they inspect buildings and focus on assessing high risk structures.

“We’re just coming together to get the high-risk ones on the front burner so that we can attack those ones first,” says Dwayne Tillman, director of planning and codes.

The report also details the hotel’s history of code violations and safety concerns, noting problems with the fire alarms and detection systems.

City leaders note that while improvements can always be made, it’s important to recognize the efforts that day from first responders.

“The fact that forty, plus forty people got out of that building unhurt and there are no fatalities that is remarkable,” says Mayor Sal Panto.

“City officials will continue their review into the findings of that investigation.”

Flames tore through the hotel on Northampton Street on a cold winter day and sent smoke billowing into the air. Several people were injured, including a firefighter, and dozens were displaced.

There is no word on what caused the fire.

The city administrator said the report has been under formal review by multiple departments.