Multi-alarm fire burns through construction site in downtown Raleigh – N.C. State University Technician Online

Thursday night, a fire broke out in an under-construction apartment building at the site of the former Greyhound Terminal in downtown Raleigh. The building that caught fire, Metropolitan Apartments, is owned and developed by Chicago-based Banner Apartments and was designed by JDavis Architects, an architectural firm in Raleigh.*

Raleigh Fire and Police Department personnel responded to the 400 block of W. North Street in connection with a multi-alarm fire, said Laura Hourigan of the Raleigh Police Departments Public Affairs office.The main building that is engulfed is currently under construction. Preliminary information is that there are no injuries.

The fire spread to two neighboring buildings. A construction crane has also fallen as result of the fire.

We had a little fire on the roof that was burning, said Steven Holloman from the Raleigh Fire Department as he pointed at the First Baptist Church. [The fire] started due to insulation from the fire.

The building is owned by Banner Apartments, which owns another apartment complex downtown. Metropolitan Apartments was a $52 million development, according to the Triangle Business Journal.

We saw it on Twitter so we decided to come out here, said Jonathan Glover, a junior studying accounting. It looked a lot bigger on Twitter, in the pictures.

I agree, said Morgan Truesdale, a witness on the scene.

The Raleigh Police Department is on the scene and have the surrounding streets blocked off. Nearby buildings have been evacuated.

Do you hear those explosions? said Officer Brian Scioli of the Raleigh Police Department, as he attempted to push the crowd away from the scene. There are power lines coming down.

The intersection between Hillsborough and McDowell Streets two blocks from State Capitol is closed and covered in ash and soot. The intersection of Editon and Dawson streets is also closed. In the area around the corner of McDowell and Jones Streets there is no power.

I overheard an officer say its low, its not out yet, but its a whole lot better than it was, said Cody Justus, a sophomore studying plant and soil sciences. When I asked the officers, they didnt elaborate further.

According to Steve Newton of the Wake County Emergency Management Shelter, shelter for those evacuated due to the fire has been opened at the Church of the Good Shepherd at 125 Hillsborough Street.

A few of our members are with emergency management, thats how we found out about this, said Cameron Clement of Raleigh Off Road, a local club. The club is currently taking donations for those affected by the fire, as well as handing out blankets and water.

A livestream from WRAL can be found here.

This story will be updated as information becomes available.

*Editor's Note: This article originally inaccurately identified JDavis Architects as the constructors of MetropolitanApartments.

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Multi-alarm fire burns through construction site in downtown Raleigh - N.C. State University Technician Online