CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A grill on a third floor balcony sparked a massive apartment fire in uptown Wednesday morning that injured a mother and her two children.
Charlotte Fire Investigator Paul Wilkinson says that a tenant on the third floor of the building finished grilling on the ground level. He thought the grill was cooled, but when he stored it back on his balcony, hot embers ignited the building.
"In this case, the proper method of being away from the building cooking took place. A short time later, he believed the grill to be cool enough, took it back upstairs and placed it on his deck," said Wilkinson.
Firefighters responded to the four-alarm fire at the First Ward Place apartments on Davidson Street at about 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Flames were seen shooting from the top of the building and fire crews had to rescue three people.
A mother and her two children were injured. They were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
"We just came outside and saw a blaze of smoke, and the fire," said neighbor Brandon Mosely. He says he also heard screams and saw that the young children needed help.
"Me and my brother went up there to grab the babies and bring them down to the ambulance. They had a lot of smoke inhalation," he explained.
Flames spread to a total of 14 apartment units. Thirteen of the units had people living in them.
"The fire started and the next thing you know all the power went out," said one resident. "I had to do what I had to do to get the kids out. I'm still in shock."
The Red Cross is helping the families that have been displaced.
