 "Photo: DTH/Jenny Tenney")
A woman died and at least two were injured in a fire that left a Colonial Village at Highland Hills apartment building destroyed and 20 residents displaced, including UNC students.
The Carrboro Fire-Rescue Department was dispatched at about 2 a.m. Sunday to the fire at 180 BPW Club Road, off of Smith Level Road.
Most of the 14-unit G building was already destroyed when fire rescuers arrived.
The name of the woman who died, age 55, was not released. Two women who jumped from the second story to escape the flames were taken to UNC Hospitals for broken legs and ankles.
One displaced resident, UNC senior Kate Connor, said about half of the complex is made up of students.
The cause and starting location of the fire at the apartments is still being investigated, said Lt. William Kitchin of the Carrboro Fire-Rescue Department.
Carrboro firefighter Hugh Miles said the source might never be determined.
"The damage is so extensive, it's very hard," said Miles, a six-year veteran of the force. "You really can't do a point of origin, maybe an area of origin."
The fire also melted the windshields and front bumpers of cars parked nearby and drew neighbors out of their homes.
"All I could see when I opened the front door was fire," said apartment resident Zack Strange, who called 911 when one-third of the building was in flames. "Within 10 minutes, the whole building was going."
Donna Roos, who lives across the street from burned building, said she was awoken by her 22-year-old daughter soon after 2 a.m.
"The next thing I know, she's waking me saying, 'Mom, Mom, we've got to go,'" Roos said. "Everyone in our building came out, and we were just hugging."
Fire departments from Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, New Hope and Northern Chatham all responded.
Five members of the Disaster Action Team of Orange County's American Red Cross chapter provided emergency services for the residents, including debit cards to replace clothing or eyeglass prescriptions and comfort kits of toothbrushes and toiletries, said Scott Madry, chairman of the disaster committee at the Orange County Red Cross and research associate professor of anthropology.
Some displaced residents were moved into vacant apartments in a different building at the complex.
"We have an empty apartment, which is nice, but we don't have a bed to sleep on," UNC senior Stephanie Gagnon said.
Carrboro fire-rescue officials planned to stay at the apartments until 5 a.m. today to monitor the scene and to put out hot spots, at which point the scene would be turned over to excavators.
The apartment complex is not equipped with sprinklers or fire escapes.
According to Carrboro fire code, buildings that are used as multifamily residences must be equipped with sprinklers. But because those buildings were built before amendments to the code were added, they did not have to comply, Miles said.
The local Red Cross chapter is accepting cash donations to help with emergency relief.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
