Christmas Morning Fire Leaves 32 Homeless in Raleigh

RALEIGH – A two-alarm fire at a Raleigh townhouse complex early Christmas Day left nearly three dozen people without a home Sunday.

Lt. Adam Stanley, with the Raleigh Fire Department, said that someone called 911, reporting the fire in the Green Castle Apartments, 2647 New Hope Church Road, at 2:19 a.m.

Heavy flames were pouring from the roofs of two townhouses when fire crews arrived. About 60 firefighters worked for more than an hour to bring the blaze under control.

Everyone inside the townhouses managed to get out safely, and no one was injured, Stanley said.

Seven units in the building were destroyed and three others were damaged, leaving 32 people homeless.

Red Cross spokesman Barry Porter said the charity is helping 15 families. They’re providing temporary shelter at the Comfort Suites hotel on Capital Boulevard. Information on donating can be found on the Red Cross website.

Stanley said investigators have determined the fire started outside unit 2647 and spread up to the roof, but they haven’t yet figured out what caused it. One resident said neighbors had set a fire outside and it spread to the building.

The building had smoke detectors but not a sprinkler system, Stanley said.

Sunday’s fire was the third large one to strike Green Castle Apartments in the past five years.

Faulty wiring inside a townhome sparked a June 14, 2010, fire that destroyed or damaged six units, displacing 24 people.

Lightning struck a townhome on April 3, 2006, causing a fire that damaged seven units, leaving 12 people without a place to live.

UNITS RESPONDING:

Wake New Hope Engine 1 (first arriving)
Raleigh Engines 11, 19, 15, 21, 27, 9, 7
Ladders 2, 5, 1
Rescues 1, 2
Battalion Chiefs 1, 2
Air 1
Chiefs 10, 20, 40
EMS 32, 11, 4, 63
EMS District Chiefs 4, 3
EMS Medic (APP) 92
EMS Truck 1

PRIMARY AGENCY: Raleigh Fire Department

ASSISTING AGENCIES: Wake New Hope Fire Department, Wake County EMS
INCIDENT TYPE: 2nd Alarm