RALEIGH - Investigators are still trying to determine what caused a fire that displaced nearly 30 residents of a Raleigh apartment complex on Wednesday.
They are also looking at dried pine straw that serves as mulch surrounding the building. Although they don’t think it caused the Concord Apartments fire, they say it has potential to help fuel flames.
CHARLOTTE - Salisbury fire Chief Bob Parnell said Wednesday he doesn’t know why a team of firefighters was inside the Salisbury Millwork 30 minutes after an evacuation order was given.Two firefighters from that team were killed by the March 7 blaze, when it spread from an office into a warehouse they were trying to protect.
GREENSBORO - A construction error on more than 90 new town houses built by Portrait Homes in Guilford County since 2006 means the homes don’t meet North Carolina fire codes.The faulty fire walls were detected only after an anonymous caller contacted Greensboro city inspectors in fall 2007 about the below-code drywall, according to David Jones, chief inspector for Greensboro.
SALISBURY - Firefighters knew any blaze at Salisbury Millwork could grow quickly, fueled by sawdust and adhesives, and that fighting it would be difficult due to a shortage of available water, according to plans the Fire Department keeps on area buildings.That “pre-plan,” released at the Observer’s request, also called for an “aggressive attack” to fight fires at Salisbury Millwork.
SALISBURY - Salisbury Millwork, destroyed in a Friday fire that killed two firefighters, was cited for a number of violations by the N.C. Department of Labor during its last inspection in 2002.Some of the violations were not having fire exits marked properly and not having portable fire extinguishers readily available.
SALISBURY - Details are slowly emerging as the investigation into the deaths of two Salisbury firefighters continues. On Tuesday, the medical examiner released causes of death for both men who died after fighting a massive fire at Salisbury Millwork on Friday. According to preliminary autopsy results, both 19-year-old Justin Monroe and 40-year-old Victor Isler died of heat exhaustion and carbon monoxide poisoning.
WINSTON SALEM - Twenty-seven families lost everything in a massive apartment fire.Fire investigators still aren’t saying what caused the fire.
RALEIGH - Homes have been rebuilt and city and state building codes changed to prevent another tragedy like the Pine Knoll Townes fire. Residents, though, say memories of that fire a year ago are burned into their memories.On Feb. 22, 2007, a wind-whipped fire raced through the Pine Knoll Townes complex off Capital Boulevard, damaging or destroying 38 units.
Investigators blamed discarded smoking materials for sparking the fire. Other factors contributing to fire’s rapid spread were pine straw next to the buildings, vinyl siding and soffit material that allowed the flames to get into attics and onto roofs.
STATESVILLE - Standing on a ladder and applying glue to the end of a pipe isn’t exactly part of Mike Billings’ regular job, but the work he and about a dozen other firefighters did Tuesday may make their jobs easier one day.
Billings, the deputy fire marshal for the Statesville Fire Department, and fellow firefighters from the Statesville and Mooresville fire departments spent time installing a sprinkler system in the Iredell County Children’s Home under construction on Bingham Street.
KINSTON -Even though, the plant moved to another part of town in Kinston, many will never forget the memories of January 29th, 2003.
Five years ago, an explosion that hit a community was caused by dust in the ceilings of the plant. A Chemical Safety Board Study says those who worked inside didn’t know about the dust hazards and they’ve recommended OHSA pass regulations to prevent a blast like this from happening again. The new West Pharmaceutical Plant only makes rubber components for medical devices in order to prevent an explosion like that one from repeating.
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