Charlotte officials confirm fatalities in massive fire

Table Of Content

• The Aftermath Of Monday's Deadly Shooting Shows A Damaged Neighborhood And A Heartbroken Community
• Construction worker rescued from top of crane during huge fire in SouthPark
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• Charlotte Fire identifies two killed in massive SouthPark construction fire
• Charlotte Fire Department fighting blaze at construction site
• Bodies of 2 missing workers recovered at site of Charlotte 5-alarm fire
• $850k in damages reported, 30 people displaced following large apartment fire in south Charlotte

Charlotte firefighters arrived within minutes of the first call, which was placed around 9 a.m. Thursday morning, according to the Charlotte Fire Department. Fire officials said over 90 firefighters fought the fire and rescued 15 workers from the burning construction site.

The Aftermath Of Monday's Deadly Shooting Shows A Damaged Neighborhood And A Heartbroken Community

According to its website, Modera SouthPark is a wood-frame, podium-style community consisting of twin buildings that make up more than 200 apartment homes. They noticed the side of the building was smoking, so they started yelling out of the window, but the firefighters couldn't hear them. The witness said, at that point, they started taking video of the smoke. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is asking people to avoid the SouthPark area so their crews can respond to the fire efficiently. Drivers are being asked by CMPD to avoid Liberty Drive, Assembly Street, Barclay Downs Drive and Park South Drive until all flames are contained. By 6 p.m., Fairview Road was reopened during the congested evening commute.

Construction worker rescued from top of crane during huge fire in SouthPark

Witnesses told Channel 9′s Joe Bruno that the fire started on the second floor. Construction workers said there were nearly 100 people working at the site at the time of the fire. The fire broke out at an apartment complex on Fishers Farm Lane around 3 p.m. A second alarm was struck shortly after the fire broke out. The fire was controlled in 50 minutes by 60 firefighters. Construction worker Demonte Sherrill, 30, died in the blaze, family said.

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CMPD’s flight team also provided firefighters with a bird’s eye view, helping them determine which areas to attack. He was taken to the hospital, Morris said, where he remained Thursday afternoon. "There’s no drywall in these buildings so there is nothing to prevent fire spread," he said.

Charlotte Fire identifies two killed in massive SouthPark construction fire

Firefighters want investigation into massive Charlotte fire - WCNC.com

Firefighters want investigation into massive Charlotte fire.

Posted: Sun, 16 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Fire officials said crews had several "maydays," which means crews were either trapped or had access issues when escaping. In total, 15 workers were rescued from the site and no firefighters were injured. A construction worker on the scene of the massive fire told WCNC Charlotte that he and his crew were working in the building before the massive blaze.

Charlotte Fire Department fighting blaze at construction site

The cloud of smoke from the fire was so thick it was registering on the radar. WCNC Charlotte Forecaster Larry Sprinkle said, due to the smoke, the air quality skyrocketed to the "very unhealthy" level. Sprinkle strongly encouraged everyone to stay inside because the dense smoke is in the air, and experts aren't aware yet what is in the smoke chemical-wise.

Charlotte Fire asked anyone unable to locate family members who were working at the construction site to call 911. Police shared the same information, saying an officer will complete a missing persons report. They asked family to provide the person’s full name, date of birth, physical description and a recent photo. A crane operator was stuck in the cab high above the fire and fortunately, first responders later rescued the worker.

The Charlotte Fire Department responded to an apartment fire in the 6800 block of Fishers Farm Lane. The station quoted a fire official from nearby Waxhaw saying that first responders were "putting plenty of water on the crane to ensure the metal didn’t twist or collapse." "The CMPD is assisting the Charlotte Fire Department with road closures in the area... due to a large fire," it said, adding, "do not call 911 unless you have an emergency."

$850k in damages reported, 30 people displaced following large apartment fire in south Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — As firefighters battled a massive fire at a building in SouthPark from below, a harrowing scene unfolded Thursday morning as one crew member dangled from above. Johnson said the initial investigation shows the fire started in a spray foam insulation truck, and appears to be accidental. At a construction site on the 7700 block of Liberty Row Drive, across the street from SouthPark Mall. One person was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover, paramedics said.

This is the worst thing that can happen in our industry and there are no words that can express the emotions we are experiencing from this loss. SouthPark Mall was closed due to the proximity of the fire and motorists were advised to stay away from the area as several roads were closed. Officials asked the public to not call 911 unless there is an absolute emergency. Both men were part of the construction crew working on the upscale apartment buildings when the fire broke out.

One user on Twitter, @TheHomeT, shared a video of the smoke plume emanating from the fire.

The fire chief also maintained that the fire was accidental, and said it appears to have been sparked by a spray insulation foam trailer fire. Witnesses and social media video described spectacularly high flames, leaping 50 feet in the air. The fire was mostly extinguished as of noon, though firefighters were still spraying hot spots. There was ash all over the ground, and traffic was stopped on many surrounding streets. "We watched it start to smoke gradually and then we saw the smoke get bigger, and then, initially, the front of the building caught on fire," the witness said.

Firefighters were trying to reach the two trapped construction workers, but firefighters had to declare their own "mayday" during the rescue attempt. Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald Johnson said firefighters rescued 15 workers from the building, including one who was on a crane. Paramedics said he was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

We tell the stories of people working to solve persistent social problems. We examine how problems can be solved or addressed to improve the quality of life and make a positive difference. Large clouds of smoke and flames shot hundreds of feet in the air from the area of Barclay Downs Drive and Fairview Road, near SouthPark Mall. Officials said firefighters were tasked with extinguishing the "very fast-moving" fire, which was over 2,000 degrees. We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of the two people who were missing in the construction fire that took place yesterday.

Another worker told Channel 9 that a foam-spraying machine caught fire and then spread to the floors above. But as of Thursday afternoon, two workers who were in the area of the construction site where the fire initially broke out remain unaccounted for, the newspaper added. The Charlotte Fire Department says it is battling a massive blaze Thursday at a construction site in the North Carolina city’s SouthPark area. National building code allows for up to five floors of residential buildings to be constructed using fire retardant wood.