Deadly South Park fire remains under investigation. Here’s everything you need to know
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SouthPark Fire
On May 18, 2023, a five-alarm fire broke out at a construction site in SouthPark. Two men died as a result of the blaze.
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The investigation into a massive fire that left two men dead and badly damaged a South Park apartment building remains ongoing.
The probe into the blaze could take weeks or even months, according to fire officials in Charlotte and elsewhere.
Here’s what we know about the fire and the investigation so far:
How long could an investigation take?
Charlotte Fire Department Chief Reginald Johnson said at Friday’s news conference did not give a timetable when an investigation into the fire would conclude.
However, Division Chief Adam Ryerson with the Concord Fire Department told The Charlotte Observer in a phone interview that the length of fire investigations depends on the size of the fire and the extent of damages.
“It could be as little as an hour, an hour and a half, or it could be years, depending on how long it takes for information to come back from labs,” he explained. “It all depends on how technical the investigation is or how much damage there is to that property.”
But considering the impact of the fire in South Park, Ryerson said it could take months – if not longer – to conclude their process.
“You take a fire similar to what we had in Charlotte (Thursday), you’re talking about an entire city block because of that, you have to peel every layer back like an onion until you get down to that believed point of origin,” he said. “That’s why it could take months.”
Remains of two men were found at the site
Reuben Holmes, 58, of Huntsville, Ala., was one of two employees of KS Windows and Doors of Atlanta who died during the mammoth blaze last Thursday.
Demonte Tyree Sherrill, 30, was a father of four.
The five-alarm fire, which burned uncontrolled and threatened to spread to nearby structures for several hours, began around 9 a.m. The apartment building under construction, rising above two floors of the garage, eventually collapsed.
Nearly 100 firefighters responded
More than 90 firefighters, including from five neighboring departments, flocked to the SouthPark Towers area to get the blaze under control. Stray flames and fiery debris still whipped around the area — near Fairview Road and Piedmont Row Drive — at about 1:30 p.m.
The fire reached temperatures above 2,000 degrees, Johnson said at a news conference.
Firefighters rescued 15 workers who got stuck in the building, according to officials. Firefighters had to issue two mayday calls for help after getting trapped in the fire themselves, Johnson said.
Paramedics took one construction worker, who was stuck in a crane for more than an hour, to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Other buildings, including Piedmont Town Center and a nearby Marriott Residence Inn, were evacuated, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Where the fire started
Fire officials say the origin appears to be an area where a spray-foam insulation trailer was being used.
Johnson said the fire started on the ground floor of the multi-story apartment building under construction.
The fire, Johnson said, was an accident and its cause was unclear.
The blaze was able to spread so rapidly because of a lack of finished walls in the building, and the breeze that carried the unrestricted flames and ash, Johnson said.
The state’s Occupational Safety and Health officers are investigating the accident. This type of investigation could take up to six months to complete, said Erin Wilson, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Labor.
What to know about South Park
The South Park area is one of Charlotte’s most popular and growing neighborhoods.
Located just six miles outside uptown Charlotte, much of the luxurious area is built on suburban land with neighborhood streets connected to several main roads, like Sharon Avenue and Fairview Road.
South Park is also home to one of the most popular malls in the region, several apartment complexes, offices, and restaurants, with more redevelopment coming to the area soon.
According to Charlotte-based Cedar Management Group, about 18,000 people live in South Park. The HOA management company says 51% of residents are homeowners and 36% are renters. The average home value in South Park is $654,871, up 3.3% over the past year, according to Zillow.
Future of the South Park construction site unclear
Boca Raton, Florida-based developer Mill Creek Residential broke ground on the 239-unit project that caught fire last January. It’s unclear whether the developer will continue the project in the fire’s aftermath.
Plans had called for two identical buildings at 7740 and 7741 Liberty Row Drive, according to the developer.
Mill Creek Residential, a national rental housing company, was working with Greensboro-based Hawthorne Residential Partners on the apartment project.
Its South Park project was to have a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes. The project was expected to be complete by spring 2024. Some of the amenities planned for the site included a gym, pool, golf simulator and co-working areas.
Vehicles damages should be covered by insurance
Several vehicles in a nearby parking deck were damaged during the fire.
Video and still images from the scene showed several cars completely or partially charred in the fire that reached 2,000 degrees.
If your vehicle was damaged by the fire or smoke, you should be covered if you have comprehensive car insurance, according to Progressive.
After filing a claim, an adjuster will determine if your vehicle is covered, and whether it can be repaired or if it’s a total loss. Your insurance company will then give you a check for the cost of repairs or the actual cash value of your vehicle if it’s totaled.
This story was originally published May 23, 2023 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Deadly South Park fire remains under investigation. Here’s everything you need to know."
