A massive fire destroyed one apartment building containing twelve units at Gorman Crossing Tuesday afternoon as fire fighters worked to contain the blaze.
Raleigh Fire Department arrived at the complex, located at the corner of Avent Ferry Road and Gorman Street, just before 5:30 p.m ., according to Jim Sughrue , director of public affairs for Raleigh Police Department. At 6:30 p.m ., the fire had already affected a dozen units.
“The fire started on the first floor and quickly moved to the second floor,” John McGrath, Raleigh Fire chief, said.
No injuries were reported, but seven N.C . State students were displaced, according to Capt . Jon Barnwell of University police. Campus police were on the scene – not in a law enforcement capacity, but to assist any students involved.
“We responded to that incident because of the proximity to campus, and with the knowledge that complex may have some student residents,” Barnwell said.
Together with the American Red Cross, apartment complex owners arranged for those affected to have a place to stay.
“It’s still a work in progress. Of course those who were involved lost everything, pretty much,” Barnwell said.
Miriam Morton, an alumna and resident of the apartment complex who arrived home during the fire, said that the buildings affected by the fire collapsed.
“[When I first walked in] I saw smoke and helicopters before I could turn into the apartment complex,” Morton said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. “There was a lot of traffic because roads were closed just outside of the complex.”
Morton said there were swarms of emotional residents in the community when she first arrived as residents evacuated from at least 11 units in the complex.
“There were about 100 people outside,” Morton said. “A lot of people came running through and crying trying to get to their house and check on things inside their homes.”
A dense crowd — residents and otherwise — surrounded the fire. One resident who lived in a building that burned to the ground cried from behind police tape as she observed the devastation.
Amanda Franklin stood and watched firefighters scramble around the scene. She arrived at the fire when it first started around 4:30 p.m . She lives in a building no further than 30 feet from a building that at 6:30 p.m . had been totally destroyed.
“The trees and bushes right next to my apartment caught fire, but firefighters put them out,” Franklin said. “It spread quickly.”
A fire started in the kitchen of a Gorman Crossing apartment about the same time last year, according to seven-year resident Cheryl El-Haimeur .
“I run a business out of my apartment, and I was worried today — as I was last year — that my apartment and all of my possessions would go up in flames,” El-Haimeur said.
Last year’s fire occurred in the building directly across the street from the building that burned down Wednesday. Someone had left the stove on, and smoke began to bellow from the apartment. No major damage occurred as firefighters quickly contained that previous incident, El-Haimeur said.
In an attempt to alleviate the hardship of those affected, El-Haimeur offered the use of her apartment to an American Red Cross representative for any of those left homeless.
As of Tuesday evening, the fire was mostly contained. Small flames jumped up from smoldered sections of affected areas, but they were promptly extinguished by firefighters.
Firefighters remained on the scene overnight until Wednesday morning to ensure that the fire was fully extinguished. Once crews determined the scene was safe, they handed the property over to complex management. Residents were then allowed to “salvage what they could,” Whitley said.
