North Carolina

Construction worker killed in massive fire at Charlotte construction site

Published

2 years ago

May 19, 2023

Construction worker killed in massive fire at Charlotte construction site

A construction worker died and another went missing after a massive 5-alarm fire erupted at a North Carolina work site Thursday morning.

The 5-alarm blaze broke out at about 9 a.m. inside an under-construction apartment building in Charlotte’s affluent SouthPark neighborhood, authorities said.

The crews rescued 15 workers — including a man stuck on a crane — from the fast-moving fire, but two workers were unaccounted for as teams continued to try to get the inferno under control, the Charlotte Fire Department tweeted at 7:34 p.m.

One of the construction workers unaccounted for, identified by family as Demonte Sherrill, 30, was later confirmed to have died, WSOC-TV reported.

The other man still hadn’t been found by late Thursday night.

90 Firefighters responded the scene of a 5-alarm fire in Charlotte, North Carolina Thursday.

Charlotte Fire Dept/Twitter

A firefighter climbs a crane at the scene of a five-alarm fire in Charlotte, NC. — Crews rescued 15 workers, including a man trapped atop a crane.

Most of the flames were put out by about noon, the report said.

Exposed wood and construction debris acted like kindling for the fire which rose to five alarms in under an hour, Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald Johnson said at a press conference recorded by local station ABC8 News.

Two fire crews needed to be rescued themselves when they became trapped in the burning building in the 7700 block of Liberty Row Drive, Johnson said.

“We rescued 15 people from this fire and 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,” he told reporters. “I’m proud of the work we’ve done here.”

Smoke covers the scene of two towers at the scene of a five-alarm fire in Charlotte, NC. — Two workers remained unaccounted for Thursday night, according to the construction foreman.

One worker was stuck atop a crane when the fire with “high heat conditions well over 2,000 degrees” ignited.

Firefighters had to first cool down the crane with water to ensure the metal didn’t twist or collapse before rescuing the man, according to the fire chief.

Firefighters spray water onto a five-alarm fire in Charlotte, NC. — The Charlotte Fire Department said it could not confirm loss of life as teams continued to search for the missing workers Thursday night.

“Then firefighters climbed over 100 feet up the crane to help rescue the operator who had begun climbing down,” the Waxhaw Fire Chief, who assisted the Charlotte team, told Queen City News.

The crane operator was rushed to the hospital in serious but stable condition.

The fire also began to spread to the building across the street as well as several rooftops, but the smoke eaters were able to put out those “spot fires” before they took off, Johnson said.

The workers were building a luxury apartment building complex that was set to open in spring 2024.

Smoke and fire pour out of a building in Charlotte, NC. — One person, the crane operator, was rushed to the hospital.

A crane rises about smoke at the scene of a five-alarm fire in Charlotte, NC. — Two crews of firefighters got trapped in the burning building and had to be rescued themselves in the fast-moving fire.

Large black plumes of smoke from the scene could be seen from miles away, according to the local station.

Emergency officials advised neighbors to avoid the area due to the heavy presence of soot and smoke depleting the air quality and also asked nearby resident to avoid calling 911 unless it was an emergency.

Source link

Related Topics:charlotte construction Featured firefighters Fires news north carolina

Click to comment

North Carolina

Vote: Who Should Be the North Carolina Boys High School Basketball Player of the Week? (1/20/2025)

Published

5 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Press Room

Vote: Who Should Be the North Carolina Boys High School Basketball Player of the Week? (1/20/2025)

Who was the North Carolina Boys Basketball Player of the Week last week?

Each week, High School On SI scours the state of North Carolina and compiles the top performances from the previous week.

Congratulations to last week’s winner: Jalin Sutton of Greene Central.

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:

The 6-foot-5 junior guard scored 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting, grabbed 7 rebounds and blocked 4 shots in the Sabres’ 71-63 win over Myers Park. Houpt also had 15 points in a 65-56 win over White Oak.

Kerr, a top 100 national recruit, scored 24 points as the Cougars toppled nationally ranked and previously undefeated Christ School 73-66. The 6-foot-4 junior guard has 10 college offers.

Charles scored 27 points and got 8 rebounds in a 56-42 win over Southside. The 6-foot-4 senior also had 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in an 84-38 rout of Pamlico County.

Blow scored 17 points and got 6 rebounds in a 67-59 victory over Ayden-Grifton.

Barron scored 19 points while getting 7 steals and 5 assists in a 77-57 victory over Northwest Halifax.

Edwards posted 27 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in an 89-39 romp over Wayne Christian. He also had 17 points in an 84-57 win over First Flight.

Brewer dominated with 34 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals in a 66-48 win over Pisgah.

Parkins erupted for 39 points, tying a career high, in a 90-66 win over Asheville. The 6-foot-7 senior also had 17 rebounds. He had 27 points and 13 rebounds in an 81-65 win over Erwin.

Brown scored 30 points and had 5 rebounds in an 84-80 overtime win over Tuscola. In addition, he had 21 points in a 59-45 loss to East Henderson.

Fannon scored 31 points, including 9-of-14 from 3-point range, as the Mustangs beat St. Stephens 93-70.

Source link

North Carolina

North Carolina Democratic state lawmaker resigns after terminal cancer diagnosis

Published

13 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

North Carolina Democratic state lawmaker resigns after terminal cancer diagnosis

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A longtime Wake County Democratic state representative announced his resignation from the North Carolina General Assembly on Sunday.

Rep. Joe John, who represented northwestern Wake County, shared news of his resignation in a letter posted to his Facebook page, after he said he received a terminal diagnosis for throat cancer from his doctors. John, 85, first stated publicly that he was diagnosed with throat cancer in early December.

“I hope my legacy will be one of dedication to the common good — working to build bridges, advocate for the voiceless, and fight for justice,” he said.

John was first elected as a state representative in 2016 and served four consecutive terms. His upcoming term would have been his fifth. Before serving in the legislature, John spent a large portion of his life in the judicial field — as a state appeals judge, superior court judge and district judge. He also served as the State of North Carolina Crime Laboratory’s director.

The Wake County Democratic Party will be in charge of choosing someone to fill John’s vacant seat.

John said in his letter that he plans to focus on his health and spend time with his family after resigning.

“If my time in office has made even a small difference in your lives, then I will leave this world knowing I’ve done my part,” John said.

Source link

North Carolina

How will NC industries be impacted with Trump in office?

Published

21 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Republican President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House on Monday, vowing swift action on a host of issues that could impact nearly every American — and could have a particularly profound effect on North Carolina’s economy.

Reporter : Kelsey Coffey
Photographer : Mark Olexik
Web Editor : Jessica Patrick

Posted 2025-01-20T07:13:38-0500 – Updated 2025-01-20T07:13:38-0500

Source link