Regulatory Changes Proposed After Deadly Missouri Condo Fire

Fire officials are considering regulatory changes after four children died in an August condominium fire in Osage Beach.

The Jefferson City News Tribune reports that the Osage Beach Fire Protection District is planning a public hearing this month on the proposed changes to regulations for fire prevention.

The recommendations are coming from a nine-member committee that Fire Chief Jeff Dorhauer appointed after the blaze.

The Missouri fire marshal's office ruled couldn't determine the cause of the fire because the damage was so extensive.

The building where the children died was built in the 1980s. When fire codes were adopted several years later, older multi-family dwellings that didn't have fire-suppression systems were grandfathered in. Fire district officials agreed the price tag for retrofitting older buildings with sprinkler systems was cost-prohibitive.