Unattended candle sparked large apartment fire in southwest Charlotte

Several families have been displaced following an apartment fire in southwest Charlotte early Friday morning.

The fire began around 2:30 a.m. on Holliswood Court, near South Tryon Street.

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Firefighters said it took 60 minutes for the two-alarm fire to be controlled. Over 60 firefighters battled the blaze.

Five people and one firefighter were evaluated by emergency services, according to firefighters.

Twenty-four units of the apartment were affected by this incident, causing multiple families to be displaced.

Channe 9′s Eli Brand spoke with one of the residents who was displaced by this fire. Tyler Williams said his two-year-old child and girlfriend were inside with him when the flames started.

He said his apartment was mainly smoke-damaged but likely wasn’t livable.

“I would just say prayers, man, honestly. People lost everything, bro. I wouldn’t say money; that doesn’t do anything because, honestly, we just paid rent yesterday,” Williams said.

Firefighters said the fire was caused by a lit candle that was left unattended on the balcony of a third-floor unit.

The fire was determined to be accidental. It is estimated to have caused $1.4 million in property losses.

“Started seeing a lot of firetrucks”

Many people think house fires on the Fourth of July are due to fireworks. According to the Charlotte Fire Department, that very well could have been the case in a fire at an east Charlotte home that caused nearly $90,000 in damages.

“I started seeing a lot of firetrucks and lights outside, and that’s when I realized there was something on fire,” resident Nicholas Wind said.

Wind explained to Channel 9 that he lives on Lakeside Drive, where the fire occurred. He said he heard fireworks throughout the night but didn’t learn they could have caused the fire until Friday morning.

Firefighters want people who may be using fireworks this weekend to remember that all airborne fireworks that explode are illegal. Any legal fireworks you use should have a bucket of water nearby in case of an emergency.

“Hopefully, use them safely and responsibly. If you don’t know how to use fireworks, I hope there are plenty of other places you can go to see fireworks displayed safely,” Wind echoed.

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