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Historic Fires
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Content1 July 9, 1959: Charlotte Chemical Company Hazardous Materials Fire
Firefighters responded to an alarm at the site of the former Charlotte Chemical Company on West Templeton Avenue, just off South Boulevard. The building was being demolished. Heavy rains from a recent storm had penetrated an exposed vat of chemicals abandoned in the building. The vat contained a hundred pounds of metallic sodium sealed in kerosene. When the rainwater came in contact with the sodium it set off a violent reaction which ignited the kerosene.
When firefighters arrived they assumed it was a kerosene fire and fought it as such. In spite of their efforts the fire grew hotter and more intense. The vat exploded injuring 13 firefighters. Miraculously, no one died. As a results of this disaster
- The Fire Department began training firefighters in the science of flammables.
- Protective clothing was purchased and issued to firefighters.
- The Fire Prevention inspection program was broadened.
- A diamond-shaped marking system was developed to identify the presence of hazardous materials, and their levels of flammability, health hazards and reactivity.
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Content6 July 21, 1964: Eastern DC-7 Crash
An Eastern Airline DC-7 ran off the runway at Douglas Airport and caught fire. Charlotte Fire Department's crash/fire/rescue crews extinguished the fire without harm to the aircraft's 56 passenger and crew.
As a results:
- The department's crash/fire/rescue team became better prepared to fight aircraft fires and deal with large numbers of potential casualties.
September 11, 1974: Eastern Airlines Crash
An Eastern Airline crashed just south of the runway, killing 72 people. Additional personnel were needed to assist with this disaster.
As a results:
- Response to the crash pointed out deficiencies in cooperation among the emergency response agencies and led to the first Inter-Agency Disaster Response Plan.
May 27, 1981: J. King Harrison Company Fire
This former cotton warehouse located at 1609 North Brevard Street went to three alarms. Off-duty personnel were recalled to staff reserve apparatus, and Mecklenburg County volunteer departments were called to respond under mutual aid. This fire was arson, but the case was never solved.
December 11, 1981: Bryant Heating and Air Conditioning Company
Firefighters were called to this three-alarm fire at 6700 South Boulevard. Firefighters began with an interior attack but were ordered out after explosions were heard in the building. One firefighter was injured when an old latter truck tipped over. The fire was considered arson.
As a result:
- The Bryant Heating and Air Conditioning and the J. King Harrison Company fires were the beginning for the Fire Investigation Task Force in Charlotte. Working in cooperation with the Charlotte Fire Department were Charlotte Police Department detectives and agents of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
- The Fire Investigation Task Force was formally organized in December 1984. Fire investigators were detached from the Fire Prevention Bureau and Police investigators were assigned to form the Task Force. Agents of the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also have offices with the Task Force.
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Content11 September 13, 1982: Baxter Harriss Company Fire
A serious chemical fire erupted in a warehouse at 1718 North Tryon Street. Firefighters were hampered by a delayed alarm which allowed the emergency to escalate and by their inability to get to the burning drum where the fire started before conditions in the warehouse became untenable. Toxic smoke forced the evacuation of several adjacent neighborhoods.
Fire suppression was further hampered by the presence of the herbicide Paraquat in the warehouse. This meant that all runoff from the fire had to be contained to prevent contamination of creeks and downstream water supplies. This required the cooperation of the Charlotte Fire Department, Charlotte Police, the Mecklenburg County Health Department and Environmental Protection Agency officials among others.
As a result:
- Charlotte's Mayor appointed a committee to study the handling of hazardous materials. The committee made 17 recommendations that became the charter for a new Hazardous Materials Division of the Charlotte Fire Department.
- On January 7, 1983 Engine 13 assumed the responsibilities as the Hazardous Materials Response Team. It carried out the normal functions and duties of any engine company, but its members were trained in hazardous materials handing.
- Charlotte's Fire Code was re-written to require anyone who stored, handled, used or manufactured hazardous materials to disclose information about them to the Fire Department.
| | | | March 16, 1985: Crockett Park Fire
Charlotte's old wooden ballpark burned in a spectacular three-alarm blaze. Located at 400 Magnolia Avenue in Dilworth, the park and its contents were totally destroyed. Investigators determined the fire was set by three juveniles.
April 23, 1985: Royster Fertilizer Company Fire
The largest single fire lost ever experienced occurred in April 1985 when a three-alarm blaze broke out at Royster Fertilizer Company at 2300 LaSalle St. Property and contents loss was estimated at $7 million.
April 11, 1986: Little Hardware Fire
The Charlotte landmark at 1400 Mint Street burned in a three-alarm fire. The fast moving blaze, initially fought unsuccessfully by employees with fire extinguishers was theorized to have begun with a cigarette thrown into cardboard.
April 12, 1987 & May 6, 1987: Kelston Place Fires
A four-alarm fire destroyed most of the new apartment building at 1239 Kelston Place in the East Pointe Apartments complex. Twenty-two people were made homeless by the fire. The fire began began when a grill being used on a balcony was overturned, igniting the landscaping and siding.
Three weeks later a three alarm fire destroyed another building at 1206 Kelston Place. This fire, which left eleven people homeless as also began from a grill.
As a result:
- Grilling ordinance was developed for Charlotte.
- There was interest in developing a bill to have a residential sprinkler ordinance.
March 21, 1988: Chem-Way Corporation Fire
A three-alarm fire destroyed Chem-Way Corporation officers and warehouse located at 1816 Parker Drive. Firefighters worked throughout the night to contain the blaze. Investigators determined the fire began when, earlier in the day, employees disposed of spilled sodium hydrosulfite by sweeping it up and putting it in the dumpster. This was the same chemical that caused the Baxter-Harriss fire in September 1982.
As a result:
- While firefighters worked long hours to battle this fire, they were able to identify the source and were better able to attack it based on lessons learned in the Baxter Harris fire six year prior.
| | | | | January 1, 1989: House fire on Norris Avenue
One of the deadliest fire to occur in Charlotte was the one which occurred on this date. Five members of a family died in a residential structure fire at 1517 Norris Avenue. The victims ranged in age from one year to 65 years of age. Investigators determined that the fire was caused by a cigarette dropped into the cushions on an upholstered chair on News Years Eve.
October 14, 1991: National Welders Facility Fire
An acetylene cylinder dropped by a worker started a spectacular blaze that destroyed the National Welders facility at 5301 Old Dowd Road. The fireball could be seen from uptown, and firefighters had to work in a defensive mode to avoid being struck by bottles of compressed gas as they ruptured. At the height of the incident, one runway at Charlotte/Douglas International airport was closed so that aircraft would not be struck by cylinders launched by the fire.
October 21, 1992: H&S Lumber Company Fire
The H & S Lumber Company, 520 West Summit Avenue, burned in a spectacular two-alarm fire. The fire began in a sign shop at 1420 South Mint street around the corner from H & S Lumber, when a neon sign overheated and shorted out. Fire companies worked through the night to contain the blaze.
July 2, 1994: US Air 1016 Crash
A violent thunderstorm in the early evening of July 2, 1994 was the cause of the largest single incident in the department history. At 6:43 p.m. USAir flight 1016 carrying 52 passengers and 5 crew encountered a wind shear which slammed it into the ground. The plane skidded approximately a thousand yards through a field and woods, hitting two large oaks just outside the Airport perimeter fence, broke up and burst into flames.
In all, 23 fire companies with 96 firefighters responded to the scene. In addition, volunteers from West Mecklenburg and Steele Creek also responded.
As a result:
- Because of quick action, and available staff resources, 21 suvivors were extricated and transported to area hospitals by 9 p.m., just over two hours from the crash.
- By 10:18 p.m., three hours and 28 minutes from the crash, the incident was declared under control.
June 6, 1996: Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church
In a fire that received national attention, the Charlotte Fire Department responded to the Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church fire. This old church building at 6917 Old Providence Road was complete destroyed. The wood frame structure was vacant and was being used for storage.
Investigators determined that the fire was incendiary and traced it to a 13 year old south Charlotte girl who was involved with Satanism. She was convicted in juvenile court. This was one of a rash of arson fire in Southern African - American churches which led President Clinton to establish the National Arson Prevention Initiative through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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