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Two alarms were struck on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at a residential structure fire in the 2100 block of Karns Place in very north Raleigh. Dispatched 3:02 a.m. Upgraded to working fire while units were en route, due to callers reporting that the entire structure was involved, and that fire had spread to the house next door.
Wake Forest Engine 5, dispatched as auto-aid, was first-arriving. They reported two houses on fire, and with the primary fire building heavily involved. Both were two-story, single-family dwellings, built the early 2000s. Raleigh Engine 25 was right behind them. There was a hydrant located in front of Engine 5.
Mike Legeros photos
Crews made an interior attack to start. Within five minutes of arrival, a second alarm was requested. Staging was designed at Hopeson and Falls River Avenue. Defensive operations on the primary fire building started about 20 minutes after arrival. Evacuation tones were sounded and crews were withdrawn.
In addition to the second alarm companies, Engine 15 and Rescue 16 were added to the call, clearing a overturned tractor-trailer truck with a fuel leak on I-540 at Six Forks Road, that occurred just before this fire. Engine 22 and Ladder 22 were on that call, and would have otherwise been first-due to the fire.
Three aerials were deployed (L15 and L4 in front, L23 in rear), two flowed during suppression (L15, L4) and the third (L23) flowed during overhaul. At least one ground monitor was used in the rear of the structure. Three hydrants supplied water, including one with a supply line brought by Engine 9 to Ladder 23. The fire was controlled at 4:29 a.m. There were no reported injuries.
The primary fire building at 2108 Karns Place was a two-story, single-family dwelling with 2,303 square-feet. Built 2005.
The involved exposure at 2104 Karns Place was a two-story, single-family dwelling with 2,072 square-feet. Built 2003.
There were three occupants in each structure, both families were displaced.
WRAL image
Run Card
From radio traffic:
0301 – E25 E4 E19 E18 L15 L4 Sq7 (rescue resource) B4 B5 ISO14 + EMS44
0301 – WFFD E5
0308 – EMS__ EMS41 EMS51
0308 – A28 B3 DC1 INV1 (working fire)
0313 – E28 E23 E9 L23 L6 (second alarm)
0314 – E22 (clearing I-540, added to call, but didn’t report to scene)
0315 – R16 (clearing I-540)
0318 – E15 (clearing I-540)
0323 – L14 to 15
0324 – E17 to 25
0350 – EMS42
0408 – L14 to 4
0409 – E27 to 19
Plus: B1, Asst. Chief of Training