Trending Topics

Unattended candles lead to fatal N.C. apartment fire

Authorities said the Charlotte apartment had smoke detectors but the batteries had been removed

By WSOC
The Charlotte Observer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two people were killed in a fire early Wednesday at an apartment complex in east Charlotte, according to the Charlotte Fire Department.

Burning candles were left unattended, which caused a fire in an apartment on Spanish Quarter Circle, fire department officials said.

Firefighters were called to the blaze around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. The fire was quickly extinguished, but firefighters found the two victims inside the home. They were originally taken to a nearby hospital before they died from their injuries.

Three cats were also killed in the fire, according to CFD.

The apartment unit had a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector, but neither worked due to batteries being removed, authorities said.

According to the fire department, no other apartments were damaged in the fire.

The victims haven’t been identified yet.

CFD Reginald Johnson wrote on Twitter that the department expresses “our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victims.”

©2024 The Charlotte Observer.
Visit charlotteobserver.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trending
Firefighters, police officers and teachers will see higher Social Security payments starting in April after the repeal of WEP and GPO under the new Social Security Fairness Act
NIOSH faces layoffs of staff working on firefighter safety initiatives like the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer and line-of-duty death investigations
Known as the “American fire service war college,” the National Fire Academy offers advanced fire training to thousands of students each year in a variety of formats
Carroll County’s Department of Fire and EMS has successfully staffed 13 of 14 stations 24/7 with over 200 career personnel, completing its transition plan a year ahead of schedule