On the Job: fire in downtown Raleigh

Saint Patrick’s Day was not a day for celebration in Raleigh. A downtown fire of unknown origin began the previous night on the construction site of a wood-framed apartment building. Because the building had only been framed up and sprinklers weren’t yet installed, and a lot of lumber and materials were onsite, it went up like a book of matches according to witnesses. Making matters worse was a stiff wind to fan the flames even higher.

Adjacent to the construction site stands the Link Apartments Glenwood South, managed by a long-time BluSky client. As the fire raged, a large construction crane collapsed onto a nearby building, narrowly missing the Link.

The Link didn’t escape unscathed, however. Increasing heat set off sprinklers installed on the outside of the building which cover tenants’ balconies. Several windows later exploded due to the extreme heat, allowing water inside; sprinklers inside the apartments were next to go off. Meanwhile, the Raleigh Fire Department was busy hosing down the building to prevent it from catching fire.

Ultimately more than 60 of the building’s approximately 204 units were impacted by water and smoke damage.

BluSky received the call to perform water mitigation and cleanup. Before the flames were completely extinguished, BluSky teams from Raleigh, Roanoke VA, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Charlotte, Atlanta, our Large Loss division and corporate headquarters began converging on the scene.

As soon as fire and police officials deemed the building safe to enter two days later, our teams diligently worked twelve-hour days with a singular focus of drying, selective demolition where needed, cleaning, and restoring the building.

At times BluSky has had as many as 200 workers on site and has fully gutted 25 units. Mitigation continues some thirty days later.

The repair phase is expected to begin soon and there is still a long road ahead; watch for further updates.

An apartment fire is never welcome news, but if it happens to you, rest assured BluSky stands ready to provide expert fire damage restoration. Don’t hesitate to call us at 888.882.5875.


Candace Johnson

Corporate Marketing Manager

Candace is a veteran marketer, who specializes in bringing out the best in companies. Responsibilities for BluSky include content creation and editing, brand management and consistency, website management, public relations writing, advertising, and social media management. Candace lives just south of Chicago with her husband Eric and three children.

Candace Johnson

Corporate Marketing Manager
Candace Johnson