APNewsBreak: Honolulu high-rise had outdated fire alarms

HONOLULU (AP) — Documents show a Honolulu residential high-rise where a blaze recently killed three people didn’t update its fire alarms to meet safety standards.

City records obtained by The Associated Press show no upgrades were made after an engineering firm recommended them for the 36-story building after another fire four years ago.

The firm S.S. Dannaway found fire alarm didn’t meet city fire code because they weren’t loud enough and didn’t have flashing lights. They recommended replacing it.

But the residential tower wasn’t required to meet the standards because they weren’t part of the fire code when it was built in 1971, so property managers broke no laws.

Several residents said they had trouble hearing the fire alarms during the July 14 fire, and fire safety experts say audible warnings are crucial to saving lives.