Ep 8. The Fire This Time

In Law & Order Season 12, Episode 8, titled "The Fire This Time," the detectives of the Manhattan District Attorney's office are called to investigate a suspicious fire at a high-rise apartment building that has left several people dead, including a young child.

As the detectives begin to investigate the fire, they discover that there are several potential suspects. The first suspect is the building owner, who may have neglected to make necessary repairs to the building's electrical systems. Another suspect is a real estate developer, who has been trying to force the building's residents out to make way for a new development.

Meanwhile, the detectives also discover that there was a history of tenant complaints regarding the building's safety and maintenance. They speak to some of the surviving tenants, who reveal that they had reported multiple safety hazards to the building's management but their complaints were ignored.

As the investigation unfolds, tensions rise between the different parties involved. The building owner and the real estate developer both threaten to sue each other, and the detectives find themselves in the middle of a power struggle between two powerful interests.

In the end, the detectives are able to uncover the truth about the fire and identify the person responsible. However, they also realize that the root cause of the tragedy was the systemic neglect and indifference that allowed the building's safety hazards to persist.

"The Fire This Time" is a gripping and emotionally charged episode that deals with issues of corporate accountability, urban planning, and the callousness of those in power. It presents a sobering reminder of the human cost of neglecting our responsibilities to each other.