Blaze Might Incite Shift in Fire Codes

The fire at the Campus Walk apartment building took place last month and broke out in the breezeway, the space between apartment rooms. Two UNC-Greensboro students were among the victims.

Inspectors investigating the fire are emphasizing that alarm systems in apartment breezeways are vital to prevent future deaths.

Ted Partrick, a plan review manager with the Greensboro building inspection department, said the new smoke detectors will help ensure protection for apartment residents.

"The requirements will make changes to existing buildings, requiring apartment owners to install detectors in the breezeway," he said. "There would be a detection to sound an alarm to evacuate the building."

Partrick predicted that the installation of the alarm systems will take place in the next 12 months.

Individual complexes will be responsible for funding the installation. Partrick estimated that the costs would be about $1,000 per building.

"Our next step is how we are going to address new buildings," Partrick said. "New buildings are built by the state building code. We would have to change the state building code for buildings not built yet."

Partrick said that a sprinkler system in buildings would be a more effective safety measure but that it would be more expensive to implement.

He said he has received only positive feedback regarding the new requirement.

"We met with a dozen apartment building owners. ... We have heard nothing but positive response," Partrick said. "I have not heard of a single apartment owner who doesn't want to increase the safety of buildings."

More stringent fire codes were implemented in Chapel Hill after a fire at UNC-Chapel Hill's Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house broke out in 1996, killing five students. The fire resulted in a push to install sprinkler systems in Greek housing.

But Stan Foushee, Carrboro fire marshal, said he does not expect the deaths in Greensboro to lead to a push for a change in the Carrboro area until officials can determine the impact of the ordinance. "We will probably see what Greensboro is doing to make it tougher," he said.

Foushee emphasized the protection offered by the sprinkler system and fire codes already required in Carrboro apartments. "With sprinklers, we can have the heads covering the breezeways," Foushee said, adding that apartment building residents are also forbidden to store motorcycles or fuel-operated machinery in the breezeway.

"I think the sprinkler system ordinance for this area is sufficient," Foushee said. "It covers inside the apartment and the breezeway. If sprinklers go off, there is a bell that rings. It is an alarm system that goes on automatically."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.