Morrisville apartment fire: Investigators assess damage that forced 70 people from homes

Questions about the integrity of its fire systems remain after a massive fire broke out at a Morrisville apartment complex for the third time in its nearly 30-year history. 

On Wednesday, investigators will return to Camden Westwood Apartments in Morrisville to assess the damage.

Six people were injured and 70 people were displaced Monday night after the fire ripped through the complex on Summit Ridge Loop near the Park West Village shopping center.

According to responding firefighters, crews responded just after 6 p.m. Monday, and the fire was not fully put out until after 10 p.m. Monday.

The town of Morrisville held a news conference on Tuesday afternoon at Morrisville Town Hall to share updates about the fire.

Morrisville Fire Chief Thomas Dooley Jr. said the fire started on a first-floor, outdoor balcony.

“[I'm] very proud of the engine crews that saved the woman on the first floor,” Dooley said. “[I'm] very proud of the work effort from Cary Ladder 1, Engine 4 for the woman and child they saved in an apartment.”

Dooley said the cause of the fire is still undetermined. Also, he said the balconies do not have sprinklers, and that wind played a big factor in the spread of the fire.

“We saved some lives [Monday],” Dooley said. “Property can be replaced, people can’t.”

Dooley explained how firefighters saved a woman , who was inside the apartment where Monday's fire started on the outdoor balcony.

“They made access to the front door,” Dooley said. “There was smoke. They couldn't see.

“The only reason they knew that she was there was because they heard her coughing in the smoke. So, they made entry. Found her on the couch and were able to just bear hug her and carry her out to the front yard.”

Watch: Town of Morrisville shares update about Monday’s massive apartment fire

Dooley said the complex's fire suppression system did its job. He said the fire burned into the complex's attic space, which does not have sprinklers.

“Initially, that sprinkler system did what it was supposed to do and protect the means of egress for people to get out of the building,” Dooley said.

However, Dooley said he would support sprinklers on the balcony, but the decision would be up to the owners of the property. He said property damage estimates would start on Wednesday.

Dooley said Tuesday afternoon that he did not have an update on the person who was taken to the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center. He also said first responders prioritized rescue efforts because when they arrived, the fire had already spread to three floors.

Morrisville Mayor TJ Cawley said he was proud of first responders’ efforts on Monday night.

“Thank you to our first responders who risked their lives to ensure the safety of others,” Cawley said.

Morrisville Town Manager Brandon Zuidema echoed Cawley's sentiments.

“You often hear about first responders being the ones that run towards the danger and not away from it, and that is exactly what happened last night and that is exactly what saved lives last night,” Zuidema said.

Watch: Sky 5 flies above Morrisville apartment complex fire to survey damage

Cawley and Zuidema also thanked the partnership the Morrisville Fire Department has with the Cary Fire Department and the Apex Fire Department.

“While events like this are rare in our community, they underscore the importance of maintaining strong, well-funded public safety departments,” Cawley said.

WRAL Investigates asked Dooley if he feels he has adequate staff and equipment to handle a fire of Monday's size, especially as Morrisville grows.

“I think we do and what we do is we lean in on that partnership with Cary and Apex,” Dooley said. “That's the whole reason for being in that partnership. We drop our jurisdictional lines. We do what's best for our communities. That's the main goal.”

Dooley said there were 22 units on the scene due to the partnership between the municipalities.

“This was never going to be a one-department fire,” Zuidema said.

WRAL News tried speaking on Tuesday with the property managers at the Camden Westwood Apartments. They told WRAL News they are not authorized to speak with media members.

Sifting through debris

Fire crews returned to the scene Tuesday morning to sift through the debris of what remains of the apartments. Joining alongside them were some of the displaced residents hoping to find answers and remnants of their home. 

“I don't think it really sunk in until I came back around midnight just to look at everything and just seeing how it's just gone,” said Mark Milligan, one of the displaced residents. “We're just hoping that by some miracle there's some stuff left.”

Resident Taylor Kemp just re-signed her lease at the Cameron Westwood Aaprtments.

“I am seeing from the sidewalk [that] my room is on fire,” Kemp said. “The balcony is gone. My roommates' windows are shattered. The wooden panels ... unrecognizable.”

Kemp said the only belongings that she has left after Monday's fire were the things in the back of her car.

“Here is my skirt ... other than that, I have my jean jacket and a beach chair,” Kemp said.

The Red Cross is working with people that were displaced from the complex to make sure they have a place to stay for the time being.

But they are not the only ones pitching in to help.

Ruckus Pizza has continue to bring over food and drinks for the victims of this fire as well.

Related: NC insurance commissioner shares why the cost of renters' insurance is well worth it

Retired fire marshal shares perspective on Monday's fire

Steve Berry, a retired fire marshal who used to work in Raleigh, said the amount of wind stood out to him when asked about Monday's fire.

"It went up the side of the apartment complex and then got into the attic of the apartment complex," Berry said.

Berry said apartment complexes typically have fire inspections every year.

According to Berry, fire sprinkler systems are not typically installed in apartment complexes' attic systems that are four stories or less. It is not required by the National Fire Protection Association. He said he believes it should be a requirement.

"I would love to put sprinkler heads in everything, but the cost of it to put it in the apartment complex is a little much for it," Berry said.

Berry mentioned how commercial systems do have fire sprinkler systems in attics. He also said it was unusual for there to be three fires at the same complex (Monday night, 2019 and 2009).

Morrisville's fire response

WRAL News reached out to the town of Morrisville with questions about how the town handles its responses to large fires. The town's responses are in bold:

• What was the response time for Morrisville FD from the time the 911 call came in until the first unit arrived on scene? Approximately three and a half minutes from dispatch to arrival of first unit on scene.
• Why did Morrisville seek assistance from Cary and Apex FDs? Morrisville is part of the Cary/Apex/Morrisville (CAM) response model, which allows us to drop jurisdictional boundaries and respond to incidents in a collaborative manner.
• Does Morrisville have adequate fire department staffing to keep up with its growth and to respond appropriately to incidents like this? Morrisville currently has three personnel per truck and is aiming for a standard of four per truck for deployment. However, this does not equate to being "short-staffed" because of the CAM model. The model allows Morrisville to be adaptive and provide adequate staffing at varying levels.
• Does Morrisville FD have the appropriate equipment to respond to fires in taller buildings? Does it have enough ladder trucks/is it planning to get more? Morrisville is not planning to add more ladder trucks to its service model. The advantage of CAM is the ability partner and work together with other agencies, share resources, and be adequate in all response areas.
• Does the Town believe its response to this fire was a success? Absolutely - Because of the strategic partnership of CAM, staff from each of the three agencies meet regularly and are in regular communication to plan for all scenarios. Due to the volume of personnel on scene at last night's incident, agencies were also backfilling support at their stations by calling in other staff. Additionally, there was another structure fire in Morrisville during this time, as well as a shooting that required EMS support. But the model worked and allowed for support for all needs across the board. The ultimate goal in a fire response is to save lives and there was no loss of life in [Monday] night's fire incident.

When asked about the fire that happened at this apartment complex in 2019, the town of Morrisville said the cause of that fire remains undetermined to this day. 

Morrisville apartment's fire history

Monday's fire is not the first at the Camden Westwood Apartments. 

In 2019, dozens of people were displaced after a fire at the complex, and in 2009, fire crews said a discarded cigarette led to a fire on the third floor that displaced a dozen people.

According to property records, Camden Westwood was built in 1998 and sits on 29 acres of land. The complex has about 350 total apartments, some of which include fireplaces. The complex has wood joists and aluminum vinyl siding.

The building also has a sprinkler system, and a town spokesperson said the sprinklers went off during Monday's fire. 

According to Camden's renters insurance policy, all residents are required to carry a minimum of $100,000 in personal liability renters insurance throughout their lease. The coverage is for liability only and does not protect personal property against perils such as fire, theft and vandalism. 

WRAL News reached out to Camden Property Trust – a publicly traded, real estate investment trust – which owns the property. WRAL News is still waiting to hear back.

Here are the questions WRAL News asked Camden.

• When was the last time the apartment complex had a fire inspection?
• Were there any known maintenance issues at the building where the fire was?
• Does the property believe all fire systems operated correctly and appropriately?
• This is the third fire WRAL News has covered at this specific complex since 2009. How would you explain that history?