Crowds raise fire concerns

Elated with the thrill of victory after this weekend's big triumph against N.C. State, UNC football fans celebrated the win all over Chapel Hill.

But with that celebration came cause for concern, as overcrowding in local bars and restaurants escalated beyond normal levels.

"It was insane," said Teddy Terrell, manager of Miami Subs at 107 E. Franklin St. "We had to lock the doors, but even that didn't work."

Terrell said the restaurant was forced to close down Saturday. "There were a million people in this tiny restaurant."

Overcrowding can be a relevant issue for local businesses, especially in a college town like Chapel Hill.

"One thing I think is real critical is that everyone understand the importance of occupancy limits and fire codes," said Robert Bosworth, deputy fire chief at the Chapel Hill Fire Department.

Bosworth referenced the fire at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island that killed 100 people in February 2003. "That one instance shows you how important fire codes are," Bosworth said.

Current fire codes are determined by the N.C. Department of Insurance and involve an establishment's floor space, fixed and unfixed seating and other factors, said Caprice Mellon, fire marshal at the CHPD.

The fire department usually does not check that establishments are adhering to codes on the weekends of football games, but it checks during big events like the UNC-Duke basketball game or the ACC basketball tournament, Bosworth said.

Other large events also can be problematic. Ahmad Ammar, manager of I Love N.Y. Pizza at 106 W. Franklin St., said the restaurant becomes crowded on Halloween.

"The problem is we're small, and we only have one exit," Ammar said. "But we're used to it and we always handle it."

The fire code is the same for both restaurants and bars and requires that each establishment be inspected at least once per year, said Mellon.

"We walk through the establishment, check emergency and exit lighting and check exits to make sure they operate correctly and are accessible," she said.

The fire department has the option to close down a business if it thinks occupancy has reached dangerous levels. "But I don't remember an instance where we had to close a place down," Bosworth said.

Business owner Mark Dorosin runs Hell, a bar and club at 157 1/2 E. Rosemary St. He said he doesn't see overcrowding as a major problem.

Dorosin opposed attempts to pass an ordinance last year that would have required his business to install fire sprinklers. "It would have been extremely expensive," Dorosin said. "If anything is wrong, we fix it."

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.