‘It was scary bad’

Three days after a fire broke out in a three-story SunStone Apartments building, the smell of burned wood continues to permeate the air. Personal belongings like beaded necklaces and a toy truck are scattered near 207 Conner Drive.

About 34 apartment residents, all the residents occupying the building at the time, were evacuated from the 24-unit complex around 4:30 a.m. Thursday.

Firefighters used a ladder to rescue two people from a third-story balcony, and two firefighters suffered minor injuries, according to a news release.

Scott Madry, disaster action team captain for Orange County Red Cross, said it was the largest incident the Red Cross has responded to in several years.

“Most of our events are individual family home fires or sometimes floods,” he said. “A 24-unit apartment complex with all of them occupied is really quite large.”

The Chapel Hill Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the fire, according to the news release.

UNC graduate student Rita McFadden, who lives across from the burned building, said all the units’ fire alarms did go off. Madry said the apartment complex did not have sprinklers.

McFadden woke up to the sound of sirens and flashing lights as 10 firefighter units from Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham and New Hope arrived at the scene.

“I was just in shock,” she said. “You don’t expect to see a fire at 4 a.m.”

Madry, the first Red Cross volunteer on the scene, said the organization first focuses on people’s immediate needs by providing blankets, toiletry kits and toys for children.

“Firefighters are focused on the fire and police provide security for firefighters, but they don’t really deal with those who are burned out,” he said. “That’s our job.”

McFadden said she didn’t have renters insurance before the fire, but since has researched and purchased the insurance to protect her in case of fire, weather or theft.

Madry said sometimes people buy renters insurance too late.

“It’s a huge difference in the impact both financially and psychologically between people who have insurance and people who don’t,” he said. “You just lose everything, and there’s no one to turn to. It can become a horrible burden.”

The day before the fire, SunStone sent out lease renewal notices, McFadden said. She said she is going to wait and see the cause of the fire before making a decision about renewing.

SunStone has been able to provide some, but not all, of the displaced residents with unleased SunStone and Shadowood apartments, which they also own, McFadden said.



Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.