Charlotte officials confirm fatalities in massive fire

Table Of Content

• Update: 2 workers killed as massive fire destroys SouthPark apartment building under construction
• ‘A good man’: Father of 4 dies in construction site fire in SouthPark, family says
• Charlotte Fire identifies two killed in massive SouthPark construction fire
• Five-alarm fires in Charlotte
• WCNC would like to send you push notifications about the latest news and weather.
• Road closures

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.

Update: 2 workers killed as massive fire destroys SouthPark apartment building under construction

Within hours of the fire breaking out, firefighters said 15 people were rescued, but two were unaccounted for. Mayor Lyles confirmed the death of Demonte Sherrill, which other sources had also previously confirmed. Walter Morris said his nephew was in a construction crane above the site and could not get down initially because the flames were so high.

Developer plans to build new complex on site of deadly SouthPark fire - WSOC Charlotte

Developer plans to build new complex on site of deadly SouthPark fire.

Posted: Wed, 20 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

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

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.

Charlotte Fire identifies two killed in massive SouthPark construction 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.

Five-alarm fires in Charlotte

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 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.

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.

— 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.

CMPD is asking that drivers avoid Liberty Row Drive, Assembly Street and Barclay Downs Drive until further notice. According to the chief, it was a fast-moving fire that climbed to temperatures well over 2,000 degrees. According to Charlotte Fire, firefighters were called to Liberty Row Drive to battle the fire. “I was hoping but just from the (Facebook Live), and the way the room filled up with smoke, I didn’t see it being any hope at that time,” she said. Not too long after that, Demonte Sherrill’s boss told Campbell his son didn’t make it out of the fire alive.

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.

Other fires sparked by embers sprang up nearby but were extinguished. A construction supervisor told WCNC Charlotte one of his employees working on the site, 60-year-old Ruben Holmes, has not been seen or heard from since the fire. Both of the victims were officially identified by the Charlotte Fire Department on Tuesday. "We may be talking about more tragedy than ... we're talking about today," Johnson said Friday of the life-threatening situation his firefighters experienced Thursday. Mayor Vi Lyles named one of the deceased workers as Demonte Sherrill. The two men killed in a massive construction fire in SouthPark have been positively identified.

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.

Firefighters called two maydays because crews got trapped or had issues with accessing means of escaping, Johnson said. (WBTV) - Two people were injured in a two-alarm fire in south Charlotte on Sunday, according to Medic. An investigation determined that the fire started due to a grill on the second-floor balcony.

He said he made sure everyone on the crew he leads was together and got out, but was worried for others. Johnson thanked fire departments in Pineville, Midland, Wesley Chapel, and Steele Creek for covering Charlotte calls while Charlotte firefighters were in SouthPark. The fire moved rapidly because of the amount of exposed wood at the site, the chief said. Charlotte Fire said 90 firefighters responded to the scene. Charlotte Fire asked residents Thursday afternoon not to call 911 unless it was an emergency.