Over 90 firefighters were at the scene of the five-alarm fire.
More than 90 firefighters responded to the scene of a massive fire at a construction site in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday morning, braving devastating conditions to rescue workers trapped in the blaze.
On Thursday afternoon, two construction workers who were on the site of the upcoming apartment complex were unaccounted for, according to the fire department.
Firefighters responded to the residential development on Liberty Road around 9, and within 10 minutes the fire grew to five alarms, Reginald Johnson, the fire chief of Charlotte Fire Departmenttold reporters.
“It was a very quick fire [with] high heat conditions far above 2000 degrees. And since a construction site is open, a lot of wood is exposed and the fire moved very quickly,” Johnson said.
Firefighters rescued 15 construction workers from the blaze, including one person who was stuck on top of a crane. Johnson said firefighters had to set up hoses to protect the crane before they could go to rescue.
Johnson also confirmed that two “maydays” were issued after firefighters had trouble getting out of the blaze while rescuing some of the construction workers.
The cause of the fire is currently being investigated, according to the fire service.
Charlotte’s mayor Vi Lyles tweeted a statement encourages nearby residents to stay inside and thanks first responders for their work.
“Very thankful that @charlottefire was able to save the crane operator,” she tweeted.
