Errant Welding Sparks Condo Disaster-Entire Complex Burn Down, Suit Filed

Suit blames welders for Galveston condo fire
10/6/2009 10:52 AM By John Suayan, Galveston Bureau

GALVESTON - A Galveston homeowners' association blames two businesses for a fire that destroyed its condominium complex in June, recent court documents say.

Maravilla Homeowners' Association claims the misconduct and overall negligence of Adam's Welders and Hudak & Dawson Construction Co. led to a four-alarm fire within the Maravilla Resort Condominiums on Galveston's West End the afternoon of June 3.

"The defendants owed a legal duty to the plaintiff to exercise ordinary care," the lawsuit, filed Oct. 1 in Galveston County District Court, says.

According to the original petition, the defendants were performing construction work at the property.

It adds workers were welding handrails connected to the building, which had been almost fully rebuilt after Hurricane Ike, when some wayward sparks ignited the inferno.

A Galveston County Daily News article on June 4 reported that the blaze spread between the upper floors.

"Fire units from across Galveston County responded to the fire," the suit says

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