Fire in Downtown Raleigh
Mar 17, 2017 11:55AM ● By Grace Drescher
Early morning reports the fire of two new buildings under construction downtown resulted in no deaths but one fireman injured.
Both buildings burned were five stories tall, compliant with city ordinances that prohibit construction of wood framed buildings over that height.
Several nearby buildings were damaged by heat radiating from the engulfed combustible materials. Another was additionally damaged when the gantry crane collapsed, draping itself across the construction site before impacting Raleigh's internet fiber optic center across the street. Apparently, that building sustained enough damage to affect local internet access.
The steel framed Quorum building located immediately adjacent to the fire suffered substantial heat, water, and smoke damage. Most of the north-facing windows shattered and all residents were immediately evacuated. The building may have also suffered possible structural damage. The residents of the Link apartments to the west were also evacuated due to water and fire damage.
Live video from the scene