Charlotte Fire Department fighting blaze at construction site
The Charlotte Fire Department says it is battling a massive blaze Thursday at a construction site in the North Carolina city’s SouthPark area.
Video released by the department shows flames and smoke billowing from a structure in the 7700 block of Liberty Row Drive. As of Thursday afternoon, one construction worker has been injured and around 15 were evacuated, in addition to firefighters who had to call for help after getting trapped in the inferno themselves, according to the Charlotte News Observer.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a statement for the public to “please avoid the SouthPark area and seek alternate routes.”
“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.”
A construction worker said the seven-story building was set to become an apartment community called Modera SouthPark, according to WCNC.
The website for Modera SouthPark says it was planning to open in spring 2024.
“Mill Creek Residential is adding to its North Carolina presence with the development of Modera SouthPark, a luxury apartment community located in one of Charlotte’s most desirable submarkets,” the website reads. “The prestigious SouthPark neighborhood sits about six miles south of Uptown Charlotte and puts residents within one mile of more than 65 restaurants, 1,200 hotel rooms and various entertainment options.”
“The wood-frame, podium-style community consists of twin buildings that comprise 239 apartment homes including a mix of spacious studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes with an average square footage of 1,100 and various layouts available,” it added.
Mill Creek Residential did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
A construction worker who was trapped in a crane when the fire broke out has been rescued, Queen City News reports.
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.”
“Then firefighters climbed over 100 feet up the crane to help rescue the operator who had begun climbing down,” the official added.
A witness told the Charlotte Observer newspaper that the crane operator’s wife watched from the ground as the rescue operation unfolded before paramedics whisked the man away to a local hospital.
But as of Thursday afternoon, two workers who were in the area of the construction site where the fire initially broke out remain unaccounted for, the newspaper added.
It also said, citing reports and emergency radio traffic, that the fire started in a parking garage being built at the site, which partially collapsed around 10 a.m. local time.
Debris from the fire also has been found up to two miles away and smoke from it was picked up on nearby airport radar, according to reports.
