Aerosol can sparks fire, displaces shelter dwellers

It appears to officials that an aerosol can in a janitor supply closet has reduced the capacity of the local women and children’s shelter by one third.

A fire erupted in one of the buildings at the Inter-Faith Council’s Homestart shelter, at 2505 Homestead Road, on Monday evening, temporarily displacing 13 residents.

Chapel Hill Fire Chief Dan Jones said a can was bumped by a staffer at the shelter about 5 p.m. Monday, causing it to fall. The fall damaged the can, which began spraying aerosol into the room. The propellant reached the pilot light of a gas hot-water heater, which was also in the space, and caused an explosion.

Jones said everyone, including the worker who knocked over the spray-paint can, escaped without injuries.

“No, amazingly enough, she did not get hurt,” he said of the worker. “She was very fortunate.”

Jones said that because aerosol is highly flammable, the complete lack of injuries was impressive.

“It was a very freaky thing, an unusual thing, but the important thing is that everybody got out,” said IFC Executive Director Chris Moran.

IFC staff emptied a fire extinguisher on the blaze but failed to douse it.

“It worked; it just wasn’t enough to control the fire,” Jones said.

After the extinguisher failed to stop the fire, officials called 911 and evacuated the building, he said.

The blaze was completely extinguished by 5:45 p.m. But Jones said the firefighters stayed on the scene to help salvage belongings until 8 p.m.

Firefighters worked to salvage photo IDs, medications and pets.

“These are people in a homeless shelter, so the few items that they have is all that they have,” he said.

Moran said the IFC has arranged temporary housing for the affected individuals but declined to identify exactly where, noting that the Homestart program provides refuge to victims of domestic abuse as well as other homeless women and children who might not want to be identified.

He said the IFC will work to find room for them in the remaining Homestart housing as other, unaffected families move on — a move that means an overall reduction in the number of beds available.

“We’re trying to not fill those beds so that we can bring those folks back,” Moran said.

Moran said that the IFC does not now need material donations but that money would be useful for finding temporary housing and other fire-related needs.

IFC staff had just finished emergency management training before the incident, he said.

Jones said the fire damaged the building in a number of places, especially the roof.

Moran added that while the HVAC system, wiring and some interior walls also were damaged, the load-bearing walls all are intact, and the structure is salvageable.

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