Charlotte Fire Department

Charlotte NC – (7) Occupants narrowly escaped a burning home in east Charlotte early Sunday morning January 15^th, 2012.

Charlotte Firefighters were dispatched to a reported structure fire at 1:01 AM at 7609 Ivy Hollow Drive. Firefighters from nearby Station 23 arrived and reported heavy smoke and fire emitting from a two-story house.

Crews quickly sprung into action mounting an aggressive fire attack and accounting for the occupants. Two occupants were said to be asleep on the 2^nd floor when the fire occurred and were forced to jump out a window because the fire blocked the stairway. Five others self-evacuated from the 1^st floor after a smoke alarm alerted them to the fire.

Fire crews encountered “Collyer’s Mansion” type conditions that hampered firefighter’s suppression efforts, however firefighters were resilient in their efforts until knocking down the fire and bringing the incident under control in 26 minutes.

The fire began in the kitchen and was caused by food left cooking on the stove. Monetary damage estimates were still being tabulated at the time of this report. The Carolinas Chapter of the American Red Cross responded to assist the (7) occupants displaced as a result this fire. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters.

Kitchen fires remain the number cause of residential fires. Your friends at the Charlotte Fire Department remind you to “Stay Alert”, by not leaving food cooking unattended, “Stay Safe”, by avoiding cooking when your sleepy, and “Stay Alive”, by not allowing yourself to become distracted when cooking.

Responding companies: Battalion 4, Battalion 2, Engines 23, 40, 15, 34, Ladder 23, Rescue 3

Eternally committed to duty and service,

Mark Basnight

Public Information Officer

Office of Media and Public Affairs

Charlotte Fire Department