Orlando warehouse fire: Lawsuit filed after massive fireworks explosion kills 4
ORLANDO, Fla. - A lawsuit has been filed in connection to a massive fireworks warehouse fire in Orange County that left four people dead last year.
The family of Elizabeth Tiralongo, 22, filed a suit against SeaWorld, Magic in the Sky, and a number of other businesses that shared the building along Central Florida Parkway. The suit alleges that employees were not properly trained, and the building was unsafe. It also claimed SeaWorld partnered with the company and should've been aware of the working conditions.
"Businesses like Magic in the Sky shouldn’t be risking their employees’ lives by cutting corners and ignoring safety standards. Companies like Seaworld shouldn’t be working with contractors that employ untrained workers to operate facilities packed with literal explosives," read a statement from the Tiralongo family’s attorneys, John Morgan and Ryan Will of the Morgan & Morgan law firm. "But most of all, the Tiralongo family should not be mourning the loss of their 22-year-old daughter from an entirely preventable incident."
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The fire ripped through the Magic in the Sky facility on Dec. 1, 2022, killing Tiralongo, Landon Bourland, 24, David Gonzales, 22, and Lindsey Phillips, 23. Several others were injured in the fire, including 27-year-old Lindsey Tallafuss, who received burns to 60% of her body, according to her family.
Orange County officials told FOX 35 News in December that they had no idea the Magic in the Sky business was there and that it didn’t have any permit or business license with the county to keep fireworks there. According to records, there wasn’t even one filed, let alone approved.
"The people who owned and operated this facility allegedly never told local or county governments they were conducting dangerous business on these premises, nor sought permission or guidance from the proper authorities to ensure the safety of workers like Elizabeth," the Tiralongo's attorneys said. "It was only a matter of time before the alleged reckless behavior of the parties involved led to a tragic catastrophe like this."
As of Tuesday evening, the companies mentioned in the lawsuit had not commented on the allegations.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.