Tragic Fire Erupts At Construction Site In SouthPark Area Of Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — On Thursday morning, at least one person was ki!!ed in a significant fire at a Charlotte apartment building under construction in the SouthPark neighborhood.

According to his relatives, Demonte Sherrill, a 30-year-old construction worker, was ki!!ed in the blaze. Another employee has gone missing.

According to Charlotte’s fire chief, Reginald Johnson, firefighters rescued 15 people from the structure, including one from a crane. According to the EMS workers, his injuries were not life-threatening, so he was transferred to the hospital. Two other persons reportedly got checked out but were sent home alone.

On Thursday evening, the Charlotte Fire Department officials stated they could not confirm any fatalities.

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“The search process can be lengthy,” Charlotte Fire tweeted. “We can not confirm a loss of life. This fire has been difficult for our community, and our firefighters continue to diligently work on scene to find answers.”

STRUCTURE FIRE UPDATE: 7700 block Liberty Row Dr. With the extensive structural damage, the search process can be lengthy.  We can not confirm a loss of life. This fire has been difficult for our community, and our firefighters continue to diligently work on scene to find answers pic.twitter.com/JOJQwMS8Ew

— Charlotte Fire Dept (@CharlotteFD) May 18, 2023

Near Fairview Road and Liberty Row Drive, a massive fire required five alarms to be activated. Just before 10 a.m., the fifth alarm went off.

By midday, most of the fire had been put out, and firefighters’ efforts were concentrated on dousing the remaining hot patches.

Joe Bruno of Channel 9 reports that eyewitnesses said the blaze was sparked on the second story. According to the construction workers, close to a hundred individuals worked at the site when the fire broke out.

A worker reported that foam-spraying equipment had taken fire, which had spread to the upper floors.

Twitter user @TheHomeT posted footage of the fire’s smoke plume.

On Thursday afternoon, Charlotte Fire encouraged residents to refrain from dialing 911 unless it was an emergency. According to Charlotte Fire, 90 firemen were dispatched to the incident.

A crane operator was trapped in the cab above the blaze, but firefighters eventually rescued him. According to Chief Johnson, Crews are working in temperatures above 2,000 degrees.

The fire spread quickly due to the high concentration of combustible material. Johnson added that two maydays were called when firefighters became stuck or had trouble getting to an exit.

No firemen were reported hurt in the blaze. Johnson thanked Pineville, Midland, Wesley Chapel, and Steele Creek fire departments for answering calls in Charlotte during SouthPark.

“I’m proud of the work that we’ve done here,” he stated.

Here are the streets declared off-limits by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

• Liberty Row Drive
• Fairview Road
• Assembly Street
• Barclay Downs Drive
• Park South Drive

Later, access to several routes was restored.

Those unable to contact loved ones employed at the construction site were urged to call 911 by the Charlotte Fire Department. The police confirmed the details, adding that a missing person report would be filed. A full name, birth date, description of appearance, and recent photograph were requested from family members.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools warned that Thursday night’s bus routes could be affected by the blaze, for a rundown of which schools and bus lines are affected.

‘Get Out, Get Out’

The residential complex was primarily destroyed by Thursday night. Construction employees have reported seeing personnel working on all floors. When the fire started, the employees reportedly tried to put it out themselves. It was hard for the personnel to contain it because of how quickly it spread.

They realized then that they had to evacuate everyone. Workers told Hunter Sáenz of Channel 9 that many people started yelling “fire” to get the word out. But the fires became too dangerous, and they had to escape alone.

Alejandro Quiroja, working on the metal framing of the building’s first level, chatted with Sáenz. He stated he and his team escaped safely but was concerned about others who hadn’t.

“I saw the building in flames and coming down and, I mean, it’s scary,” he stated.

“We were working on the bottom floor so it wasn’t too bad for us, but for the guys working on the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh floor, I mean, they probably be worse, you know,” Quiroja stated.

He explained what went down after word of the fire got out.

“They started getting out, they started screaming ‘get out, get out because the building is on fire,’” He gave Sáenz a rundown.

According to Quiroja, many people have lost their employment and equipment because they were evacuated too quickly.

Sáenz received footage shot in the vicinity of the blaze. As the flames tear through the building, the camera captures falling rubble and ash.

This new video just sent to me shows the fire up close. You can see debris and ash falling as the flames rip thru the construction site. ⁦@wsoctv⁩ pic.twitter.com/q0NpGcGaWb

— Hunter Sáenz (@Hunt_Saenz) May 18, 2023

Charlotte’s mayor, Vi Lyles, tweeted urging residents to stay indoors and out of the way of emergency personnel.

“Charlotteans, please stay safe and refrain from calling 911 unless it is an emergency,” it says in her tweet. “Our public safety officials are working very hard to control the 5-alarm fire in the SouthPark area. Everyone’s safety is of the utmost importance. We’ve been advised to stay away from the SouthPark area until further notice and residents who live nearby, please stay inside. Please allow @charlottefire, @CMPD, and MEDIC time to do their work and protect our city.”

Charlotteans, please stay safe and refrain from calling 911 unless it is an emergency. Our public safety officials are working very hard to control the 5-alarm fire in the SouthPark area. Everyone’s safety is of the utmost importance. https://t.co/ZabFBksbI1

— Mayor Vi Lyles (@CLTMayor) May 18, 2023

The CMPD stated that the police tower at 4400 Sharon Road would serve as a reunification spot close to Nordstrom’s.