LACKAWANNA, N.Y. — In 2016, fire ripped through the former Bethlehem Steel site for four days.
Billowing black smoke filled the surrounding community, forcing nearly 300 homes in Bethlehem Park to evacuate.
Around 30 people who lived in that neighborhood are taking the company that owns the plant to court, blaming the fire for damage to their property and personal injury.
"Some people had injuries including cancers and other injuries, acute kinds of injuries'' … "Some people had their siding melted off, their shingles blown off" said Vinal & Vinal law firm Attorney Jeanne Vinal.
The lawsuit is filed against Great Lakes Industrial Development and claims gross negligence on their behalf for not having a fire suppression system, despite the company saying in 2016 that it property met all code requirements.
"The building was built way before there were any building codes, so the building codes may not have required them by law to do something but they still need to be reasonably prudent for the safety of others and here they didn't have any fire suppressants," Vinal said.
One of the people suing is Ashley Torres, who lived three houses from Bethlehem Steel and spoke with 2 On Your Side four years ago about the damage she found after the evacuation order was lifted.
According to the lawsuit, Torres and her children experienced wheezing, heart palpitations and watery eyes while on the property.
The suit also alleges that Torres' mother who lived with her died of throat cancer due fully or in part to Great Lakes' negligence.
When 2 On Your Side called Great Lakes Industrial Development for a response to the lawsuit the person who picked up said no comment.
