Massive fire erupts in Charlotte, North Carolina's SouthPark area

Table Of Content

• injured in 2-alarm apartment fire in south Charlotte
• Bodies of 2 missing workers recovered at site of Charlotte 5-alarm fire
• WCNC would like to send you push notifications about the latest news and weather.
• The Aftermath Of Monday's Deadly Shooting Shows A Damaged Neighborhood And A Heartbroken Community
• Photos & Videos
• $850k in damages reported, 30 people displaced following large apartment fire in south Charlotte

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.

injured in 2-alarm apartment fire in south Charlotte

Fire crews from across the Charlotte area were called in to assist the Charlotte Fire Department. The fire was visible for miles with large plumes of smoke filling the air all over Charlotte. One person near the fire said they started yelling out of their window but firefighters couldn't hear them. Construction workers told the Charlotte Fire Department that there are still two construction workers that are unaccounted for. The deaths of Sherrill and Holmes came after an apartment complex still under construction burst into flames on Thursday morning after a spray foam insulation trailer caught fire.

Bodies of 2 missing workers recovered at site of Charlotte 5-alarm fire

— Officials from the City of Charlotte held a media briefing Friday. Fire Chief Reginald Johnson confirmed that the fire was started by a spray insulation trailer on the ground floor. Chief Johnson also confirmed that two construction workers lost their lives in the fire.

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Demonte Sherrill was one of the two construction workers who were unaccounted for immediately after the fire. Firefighters were able to rescue a crane operator who had been trapped high above the smoke and flames. Within an hour of starting, the fire was escalated to a five-alarm situation.

Road closures

The site of the fire had two twin buildings that were under construction. Firefighters did successfully extinguish small fires that had spread to the second building. That second building was largely undamaged during the five-alarm fire across the street.

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.

Apartment fire in east Charlotte under investigation, fire officials say - WSOC Charlotte

Apartment fire in east Charlotte under investigation, fire officials say.

Posted: Fri, 08 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Photos & Videos

The Charlotte Fire Department responded to the scene on Liberty Row Drive near Fairview Road shortly after 9 a.m.. The five-alarm fire was the city’s first of the year. Jennings said police assisted Charlotte Fire with traffic control, as well as with the evacuation process.

They said when the flames sparked, the workers themselves tried to put out the fire. But because of how quickly it spread, it was impossible for the workers to get it under control. Video released by the department shows flames and smoke billowing from a structure in the 7700 block of Liberty Row Drive. Fifteen people, including a crane operator, were rescued by firefighters Thursday. The two people who died in the 2,000-degree fire were believed to be on the sixth floor of a building before flames tore through the area, officials said. The crane operator, among the 15 people rescued by firefighters, was treated by local EMS for non life-threatening injuries and taken to a hospital, fire officials reported.

Officials said the blaze was started by a grill on a second-floor balcony. “I saw the smoke when I first got home and my first thought I have a dog that I love terribly and I booked it inside,” one resident said. “I’m doing the dishes, I look out I see this billowing smoke and then I look closer at the window and I see these flames and I just started screaming,” another said. Paramedics said two people were evaluated with non-life-threatening injuries. CHARLOTTE — Firefighters with the Charlotte Fire Department battled a two-alarm fire in south Charlotte Sunday afternoon.

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.

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.

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."

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

One person had to be rescued after becoming trapped atop a crane. That person was later rescued by Charlotte firefighters and was transported by Medic with non-life-threatening injuries. By Thursday evening, not much of the apartment building remained. Many of the construction workers said there were crews on every floor of the building.