New Legislation Seeks to Prevent Future Deaths after BnB Fire Claims Chatham Teacher and Daughter

Photo courtesy of Alexius Horatius

CHATHAM – New legislation seeks to prevent future tragedy after the death of a local teacher and her infant daughter in a fire at a short-term rental lacking smoke detectors.

Shannon Hubbard, who taught in the Monomoy School District at Chatham Elementary, was killed in a house fire in Clinton, New York along with her one-year-old daughter Maggie last October.

Her husband, Dennis police officer John Hubbard, and her three-year old Jack were able to escape the blaze.

The Maggie Hubbard Rental Safety Act would require owners to prove the presence of working smoke alarms before they can list their rental.

The owners of the rental were indicted last month for manslaughter after reporting working smoke detectors on the AirBnB listing when there were none.  

Orleans State Rep. Hadley Luddy filed the legislation in the House of Representatives while Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr filed it in the Senate. 

New York District Attorney Anthony Parisi said the tragedy could have been prevented and that it serves as a reminder of the critical role of the safety devices.