EASTON, Pa. — A boarding house destroyed in a three-alarm fire in February — leaving dozens displaced and a firefighter seriously injured during rescue efforts — had not undergone fire inspections since at least 2017, according to a newly completed federal investigation.
That was despite a history of code violations, fire alarm problems and prior safety concerns, the investigation found.
Easton firefighters had asked city officials for years for authority to conduct those inspections themselves, but those requests were not granted, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report on the Feb. 20 fire at the Hotel Hampton…