A massive five-alarm fire ripped through a construction site in Charlotte, North Carolina, and two of the workers remain unaccounted for.
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Nearly 100 firefighters attempted to extinguish the fast-moving flames, but had yet to do so as of early Thursday afternoon, Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald Johnson said at a press conference. The chief cited exposed wood at the site as the reason that the fire was able to spread so quickly. He estimated that it reached temperatures of more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Massive Fire at Charlotte Construction Site
“The fire moved very rapidly,” Johnson said.
Fifteen workers were rescued from the blaze, including a tower crane operator. Johnson confirmed that two workers were still missing at the time of the news conference, saying the information had been passed along by the site foreman.
Embers of the construction blaze also caused a few rooftops in the area to catch fire, Johnson added.
Per CBS News: “Videos and images shared on social media show bright orange flames engulfing part of a large building complex in the North Carolina city’s South Park neighborhood, an area known for its large namesake shopping center.”