No residents were injured when what fire officials described to WCHL as a three-alarm fire broke out at the fitness center at the Carol Woods Retirement Community Tuesday afternoon.
Chapel Hill Fire crews responded to an alarm call just before four o’clock. Chapel Hill community safety communications specialist Ran Northam said crews quickly identified the significance of the fire.
“Fire was coming through the roof,” Northam said. “They saw smoke coming out of the roof first and then confirmed that fire was coming out of the roof.”
Northam added that the fire was contained in the fitness center but nearby residents were evacuated.
“There is a firewall,” Northam said. “And the adjacent building is a residential area.”
There are 40 residential units next to the fitness center. Northam said that there are 39 residents in those units, who were either away or were evacuated.
Chapel Hill Fire crews did remove a dog from one residential unit and reunited it with the owner, who was not at home when the fire broke out.
Carol Woods resident reunited with his dog, who @ChapelHillFD crews removed from residential building next to fitness center fire. pic.twitter.com/Osuw6Th2es
— WCHL & Chapelboro (@WCHLChapelboro) June 27, 2017
Northam said Tuesday night that there was no known cause of the fire.
Work continued into Tuesday night to ensure that no other areas of the fitness center were in danger of catching fire. An investigation into any possible smoke damage in the residential units was continuing as of last update Tuesday night.
Officials said fire crews from Carrboro, New Hope, Eno and Orange Rural Fire all responded to the blaze. Chapel Hill Police, Orange County EMS and Chapel Hill Transit also sent resources to assist in varying ways. Durham and North Chatham Fire crews also provided cover for Chapel Hill while most town assets were focused at Carol Woods.
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