{"id":7419,"date":"2023-06-02T07:17:43","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T11:17:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/?p=7419"},"modified":"2026-04-06T12:32:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T16:32:23","slug":"comparing-major-fires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/comparing-major-fires\/","title":{"rendered":"Comparing Charlotte’s SouthPark and Raleigh’s Metropolitan Fires"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let’s compare and contrast Charlotte’s SouthPark fire (May 2023) and Raleigh’s Metropolitan fire (March 2017). See our prior posting about the Charlotte fire<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/td>\nCharlotte SouthPark Fire
\nMay 18, 2023
\n7740 Liberty Row Drive
\nFive alarms<\/td>\n		Raleigh Metropolitan Fire
\nMarch 16, 2017
\n400 W. North Street
\nFive alarms<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Building<\/td>\nApartments under construction
\nSeven stories, ~250,000 s.f.
\nIncludes lower-level parking deck
\nOccupied by ~100 workers\u00a0<\/td>\n		Apartments under construction
\nFive stories, 275,000 s.f.
\nUnoccupied\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weather<\/td>\n66 degrees, winds 14-16 mph from ENE\u00a0\u00a0<\/td>\n35 degrees, clear skies, calm winds\u00a0\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Arrival Conditions<\/td>\nSmoke showing from lower-level parking deck<\/td>\nHeavy fire showing from front of structure on multiple floors<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Times<\/td>\n9:04 a.m. (first)
\n9:10 a.m. (second)
\n9:20 a.m. (third)
\n9:31 a.m. (fourth) (automatic for mayday)
\n9:56 a.m. (fifth)
\nTBD control time<\/td>\n		10:03 p.m. (first)
\n10:06 p.m. (second)
\n10:08 p.m. (third)
\n10:11 p.m. (fourth)
\n11:32 p.m. (fifth)
\n1:10 a.m. control time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Streams\u00a0\u00a0<\/td>\nSeven aerial streams
\n__ portable monitors\u00a0<\/td>\n		Four aerial streams
\nFive portable monitors<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hydrants<\/td>\n__ hydrants<\/td>\n10 hydrants<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Units \/ Personnel<\/td>\n20 engines
\n10 aerials
\n2 rescues
\n2 haz-mat
\n6 BCs
\n90+ FFs<\/td>\n		24 engines
\n7 aerials
\n1 rescue
\n5 BCs
\n~130 FFs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tower Crane<\/td>\nTower crane remained intact
\nOperator rescued\u00a0<\/td>\n		Tower crane collapse
\nUnoccupied<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Injuries \/ Fatalities<\/td>\n15 workers rescued
\nTwo workers killed
\nMayday for two crews of firefighters, not injured<\/td>\n		5 people treated for smoke inhalation
\nOne firefighter injured by falling glass<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Exposures<\/td>\nOccupied exposures included Hilton Canopy. Damage to exterior.<\/p>\n

Roof fires on nearby buildings included Park South Drive, managed as separate incident, with separate run card.<\/td>\n

513,761 square-feet of four primary exposures, including two occupied high-rises, Link Apartments and Quorum Center. Both managed as separate incidents but using same run card. Displaced 257+ residents. Exterior and interior damage to both buildings. <\/p>\n

Plus fires on other exposures.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Loss \/ Cause<\/td>\nCaused by vehicle fire in parking deck, ignition cause under investigation.<\/td>\n$50-51 million project cost
\n$62.5 million loss, per NFPA
\nSixth largest fire loss in 2017. Cause undermined.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mutual Aid Coverage<\/td>\nFrom 10+ departments, including one from South
\nCarolina.<\/td>\n		From 15 departments.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Medical Resources<\/td>\nTBD<\/td>\n12 EMS ambulances
\n5 district chiefs
\n1 advance practice paramedic unit
\n1 major incident support unit
\n1 ambulance bus.<\/p>\n

~32 medics<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Sources:<\/p>\n