Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone

Tag Archives: broken hydrant

Virginia Supreme Court Rules City Not Liable for Inoperable Hydrant at Fatal Fire

The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that the City of Petersburg is immune from liability for the death of a man in a house fire in 2017. The father of Corey Demetrius Massenburg filed a wrongful-death suit against the city claiming the failure of the closest fire hydrant to Corey’s house contributed to his death.

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.

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