Charlotte officials confirm fatalities in massive fire

Table Of Content

• WCNC would like to send you push notifications about the latest news and weather.
• ‘A good man’: Father of 4 dies in construction site fire in SouthPark, family says
• Road closures
• Photos & Videos
• injured in 2-alarm apartment fire in south Charlotte
• $850k in damages reported, 30 people displaced following large apartment fire in south Charlotte
• Construction worker rescued from top of crane during huge fire in SouthPark

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.

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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a statement for the public to "please avoid the SouthPark area and seek alternate routes." Smoke quickly clouded the area, creating respiratory issues for some as multiple agencies went to the scene to contain the massive fire. Johnson said there were a number of nearby rooftop fires due to the embers and the size and volume of the construction site fire. Drivers should avoid the SouthPark area and seek alternate routes.

‘A good man’: Father of 4 dies in construction site fire in SouthPark, family says

Anyone missing a loved one after the fire is asked to call 911 to speak with a police officer. "A Mayday is required when we have to send other firefighters to rescue those companies," the fire official explained. Officials said firefighters were tasked with extinguishing the "very fast-moving" fire, which had high-heat conditions of well over 2,000 degrees. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. This is a breaking news story, check back for updates.

Road closures

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.

"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 described. At that point, they knew they needed to get everyone out. Workers told Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz many people started yelling “fire” to do what they could to tell everyone to evacuate. But the flames just got too bad and they had to make a run for it themselves.

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.

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.

Johnson said the firefighters could not see the trapped men but "were going by sound and trying to get to them." “The men and women of this department put themselves in harm’s way and actually had to call for assistance themselves to get out of this fire. That’s how fast it was moving,” Fire Chief Reginald Johnson said. “I’m proud of the work that we’ve done here.” Watch Chief Johnson’s full media conference above.

"And that could expand the fire much quicker than you can see on the outside than inside," Johnson said. "And when you start to see the amount of black smoke coming out of that building - Our firefighters will tell you that black smoke is fuel." "High heat conditions well over 2,000 degrees, and as the construction site is open, a lot of wood is exposed, the fire moved very rapidly." But Charlotte Fire Department Chief Reginald Johnson said Friday evening that the remains of two workers had been found in the smoldering wreckage. Johnson said their bodies had been sent to the medical examiner's office for identification.

A video tweeted by Charlotte firefighters just before 10 a.m. Demonte Sherrill, a father and family man, was identified as one of the two who died in the massive fire. Their fire alarm started to go off in their building, so the office workers evacuated. She said everyone was safe thanks to that fire alarm.

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.

Construction companies cited for OSHA violations after deadly SouthPark fire - WSOC Charlotte

Construction companies cited for OSHA violations after deadly SouthPark fire.

Posted: Mon, 20 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

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.

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.

He added the construction foreman confirmed the two unaccounted-for workers. A large fire broke out Thursday morning at a construction site near Charlotte's SouthPark area, and 15 people, including a crane operator, were rescued as crews battled the blaze. A foam spraying machine caught fire and spread to the floors above, a construction worker told Channel 9.