SILVER SPRING, Md. — You can’t miss the display honoring Melanie Diaz on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. Her father, Cesar Diaz, makes sure the memorial grows with every visit.
“I try not to look at the building, I try to look at my daughter’s memory and the tree," said Diaz, who planted a cherry blossom tree in memory of Melanie. It replaces a tree that was chopped down by rescuers the day of her death in February 2023.
“For me it’s like a symbol for people to remember what happened here and how beautiful my daughter’s life was losing, because people cut corners and because they cut corners, she’s not here today,” said Diaz who travels with his family to Maryland from their home in Florida.
Officials said Melanie died from smoke inhalation and that a lack of a functioning smoke alarm system and functioning sprinkler system contributed to the magnitude of the fire.
“I try to focus on my daughter’s memory and promise to her every time I see her, I see her picture, I say, ‘sweetie, we’re going to still fight for you,'" said Diaz.
Thursday morning, Diaz says the Melanie Nicholle Diaz Safety Act was signed into law.
It requires high-rise residential buildings to be equipped with smoke detectors and must post signage warning residents if the building is not equipped with an automatic sprinkler system.
“I feel happy, but not 100% happy, because I know more jobs have to be done," said Diaz.
Next year, the Diaz family hopes to fight for new legislation in Melanie’s honor, like requiring automatic sprinklers to be in every high-rise apartment building among other things.
“We’re going to be working to get fire extinguishers retrofitted and make that a law and a requirement," said Melanie's brother, Cesar Diaz Jr. "There’s just a lot more that’s going to be happening and this is far from over.”
A family determined to save lives after Melanie’s wasn’t.
“If somebody was able to do this before, my daughter would be here today," said Diaz.