Three Alarms at Glenwood Towers

Last updated November 3, 2018

Historical Perspective
Summary
Details

Historical Perspective

See this subsequent blog post about major fires and fatal fires at Glenwood Towers.

Summary

Three alarms were dispatched at 509 Glenwood Avenue on Friday, October 26, 2018. Dispatched 12:55 p.m. as fire alarm. Heavy smoke on ninth floor, heavy fire found in single apartment. Working fire at 1:02 p.m. Second alarm at 1:03 p.m. Third alarm at 1:12 p.m. Two additional engines at 1:20 p.m. Additional alarms and personnel for manpower needs, for evacuation and rescue of some 10 to 12 occupants, some that called 911 to report their locations. Water on fire at 1:38 p.m. Extended operations for overhaul, air monitoring, and assisting residents with returning. Six residents transported, one treated and not transported. Over 100 evacuated. Total 28 units damaged, 26 [?] residents displaced.

Fire response: E1, E2, E3, E5, E6, E8, E10 (relief), E11, E13, E17, E20, Sq 7, Sq 14, L1 (relief), L3, L4, L7, L8, R1, C20, C401, C402, C1, C2, C3, C4, C14, B2, B3, B5 A1, A2 (relief), Training Division Chief, Training Captains, recruit academy members.

EMS response: EMS15, 16, 22, 3, 33, 4, 52, 54, 6, 62, 63, 68, 7, 8, plus [single?] units from Franklin, Johnson, Harnett, Granville counties; District 1, 3, 4, 5, Medic 91, 92, 93, 95, CH 101, 102, 200, Evac 1, EMS PIO.

Details

General

Some 10-12 residents rescued from fire floor and floor above.
Six residents transported to hospitals. One treated on scene, refused transport.
One news report said over 100 residents were evaluated by EMS. This is incorrect. Early into the incident, officials said that 100+ residents still needed to be evaluated. This was said, because they didn’t have a good handle on many more more still required medical evaluation, to determine further complaints. However, no new patients presented from that group.
Eighth floor residents and above were evacuated.
By 4:40 p.m., most residents were allowed to return (source: WRAL).
Red Cross opened emergency shelter at church in Garner on Friday night (source: WRAL).
Building has 287 apartments, only 10 were vacant. Total 28 units damaged in blaze (source: WRAL).
Built 1971. Total 117,584 square-feet. Fourteen stories. Residents are low-income elderly. Operated by Raleigh Housing Authority.
No sprinkler system.

Milestones

12:55	Call received. Smoke detector activation.
12:56	Dispatched as automatic fire alarm. E13, L4.
13:01	Engine 13 arrives, nothing showing, upon entry residents are reporting smoke on upper floor(s).
13:01	Ladder 4 arrives, reports flames showing from ninth-floor window on north side of tower.
13:02	Working fire. E1, E5, E6, L2, R1, B3, B2, B5, C20, C402, A1,
13:03 (?)	EMS dispatch: EMS54, 15, D1
13:03	Second alarm. E2, Sq7, E11, L7, L8.
13:04 (?)	EMS dispatch: EMS 63, 68, M92, CH200
13:04		Sq7 en route.
13:05		C20 arrives.
13:06		E5 arrives.
13:07		E1 arrives.
13:07	Engine 13 is attack group.
13:08		E6 arrives.
13:08	Car 20 takes command.
13:09 (?)	EMS dispatch: CH101, 102, M91
13:09		B5 arrives.
13:10	Heavy smoke on ninth floor.
13:10		L2 arrives.
13:10		C2 en route.
13:11		E11 arrives.
13:11		E2 arrives.
13:11		R1 arrives.
13:12	First (?) caller to 911 reporting inside apartment, needs help evacuating. Several additional calls received over next hour, including second-party calls from family members contacted by residents.
13:12	Third alarm: E8, E20, Sq14, L3 Requested after dispatcher relates first (?) report of trapped resident(s).
13:14		B2 arrives.
13:14		L8 arrives.
13:14		B3 arrives.
13:16		L7 arrives
13:16 (?)	EMS dispatch: EVAC 1
13:17		C4 arrives.
13:17		C14 arrives.
13:18		A1 arrives.
13:18	Battalion 3 is Fire Operations on Floor 8.
13:20	Two additional engines dispatched, E3, E17.
13:23		E8 arrives.
13:23		E20 arrives.
13:24		Sq14 arrives.
13:24		E17 arrives.
13:25		L3 arrives.
13:26		E3 arrives.
13:28		C401 arrives.
13:28		C402 arrives.
13:31 (?)	EMS dispatch: EMS 8, 3, 4, D5, M95
13:34	Fire located, single room with contents, Apartment 927.
13:38	Water on fire.
13:42 (?)	EMS dispatch: EMS 16, 22, 52, 33
13:45 (?)	EMS dispatch: Special call for out of county,units from Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnson county
13:48	Fire under control. Primary search completed. Secondary search started.

Later

16:4_ – E10 – Special call.
16:43 – L1 – Special call.
20:33 – Last unit(s) clear scene.

Locations – Outside

E13 on SE corner, connected to south standpipe, connected hydrant at Glenwood and Tucker, NW corner.
E1 on N side, Johnson Street, connected to north standpipe, connected to hydrant in 500 block Glenwood, mid-block, S side.
L4, E6, E5 on Johnson Street, 600 block
L2 on NW corner, Johnson and Boylan.
Sq7, Sq14, E17, R1, L3 on Glenwood, 500 block.
L8, L7, E11, E20 on Tucker Street, 500 block.
E3, E2, E8, A1 on Tucker Street, 600 block
EMS staging 600 block Glenwood, 400 block Tucker, corner Tucker and Boylan.
EMS officers, front parking lot

Locations – Inside

Lobby – Command post
Floor 9 – Fire
Floor 8 – Hose line connection, Div 9, Div 10-14 command
Floor 7 – Equipment staging
Floor 6 – Rehab

Run Card

Fire
- E1, E2, E3, E5, E6, E8, E10 (r), E11, E13, E17, E20
- Sq 7, Sq 14
- L1 (r), L3, L4, L7, L8
- R1
- C20, C401, C402, C1, C2, C3, C4, C14
- B2, B3, B5
- A1, A2 (r)
- Training: Division Chief, Captains, recruits
- Relief companies (r)
EMS
- EMS15, 16, 22, 3, 33, 4, 52, 54, 6, 62, 63, 68, 7, 8, FC, JC, HC
- District 1, 3, 4, 5
- Medic 91, 92, 93, 95
- CH 101, 102, 200
- Evac 1
- PIO