‘We have a fire!’ Workers tried to extinguish flames before deadly SouthPark blaze
Workers first tried to extinguish a growing fire before flames engulfed a construction zone in SouthPark and killed two people on May 18, newly released 911 calls reveal.
One worker called 911 to report a trailer fire once it had gotten out of control, according to calls released Friday afternoon to The Charlotte Observer via a public records request.
“We sprayed fire extinguishers but it continues to burn, sir,” the caller said. “We’re evacuating the building.”
Two men trapped inside the building, which would have been new apartments with a two-story parking garage, died in the flames. Another worker was trapped above the flames in a crane for almost an hour until rescue crews reached him.
The 911 caller tried to get everyone out of the building, according to the recording.
“Hey, stop. Move,” he’s heard saying while the dispatcher was on the line. “Move out of the way. We need to make room for the fire department. Listen, you need to stay out of the building.”
Another recording of a 911 call released Friday indicates initial issues with traffic in the commercial and office spaces adjacent to the fire scene as nearby businesses evacuated. One woman called police asking for traffic control help along Park Drive and Fairview Road.
Deadly SouthPark fire in Charlotte
The massive five-alarm fire spread to at least two structures, with embers sparking spot fires.
Two men, identified as Demonte Tyree Sherrill and Reuben Holmes, died in the blaze. Firefighters who tried to save them had to call a “Mayday” after becoming trapped by limited visibility themselves, Charlotte Fire Department Chief Reginald Johnson said previously.
Members of the Mecklenburg delegation of the North Carolina General Assembly on Friday in Raleigh formally commended Charlotte firefighters’ heroism in saving lives and extinguishing the fire.
SouthPark fire investigation continues
Fire officials are still investigating the fire but have confirmed it started when the trailer caught fire.
Charlotte Fire said in mid-June that no fire inspection was done at the Modera SouthPark construction site because the contractor did not alert the Charlotte Fire Marshal’s Office about the construction and its progress, a violation of a county rule.
There was also no standpipe — a vertical water pipe to which fire hoses can be connected — installed at the building, according to fire officials, even though state fire code requires at least one standpipe be installed during construction.
A spokesperson for Mill Creek Residential, the Florida-based developer on the project, previously told the Observer the company is “actively investigating the circumstances that led to the fire, and are cooperating with state and local authorities in their investigation.”
Will NC fire code change?
Fire safety leaders from across North Carolina met in Greensboro on June 6 and discussed whether they should adopt a new edition of NFPA 241, a standard specific to construction sites. That discussion came at the request of Mecklenburg County Fire Marshal Ted Panagiotopoulos, who referenced the SouthPark fire and said it presented an opportunity to reconsider code on the books.
The committee also discussed limiting the size of some buildings and changing exit requirements for construction sites.
Under a proposed change, Modera SouthPark — which had just one exit as required by current code — would have had two on each floor during construction.
Changes would likely not be implemented until 2025, the state’s chief fire code consultant previously told The Observer. The committee is scheduled to meet again in September.
Observer reporters Mary Ramsey and Ryan Oehrli contributed.
