A fire late Thursday night at a downtown Raleigh building adjacent to League properties did substantial damage to NCLM buildings while creating a giant fireball seen from several miles away. No one was killed or hurt during the fire, and League operations continued Friday in spite of the damage, with staff working remotely from home while the damage continued to be assessed.
The fire started in a yet-to-be occupied apartment building that was still under construction. Although Raleigh firefighters largely contained the blaze to that property, the intense heat blew out windows to League buildings and the nearby Quorum Center, and fire, heat and water damage occurred as a result.
League staff is working to restore our telephone system, as it is not yet operating at full capacity and may not be for several days. The League’s website and email system continue to be fully functional, so please utilize those systems to contact staff.
NCLM Executive Director Paul Meyer issued the following public statement:
"Thursday night’s devastating fire did significant damage to the buildings housing the N.C. League of Municipalities. The League’s leadership is thankful that all members of our staff are safe, and that workers and nearby residents all appeared to escape harm during the fire. That is obviously the most important consideration during a calamity such as this.
"We cannot thank enough the brave firefighters, police and other first responders who kept people safe despite the extent of the fire and who did a tremendous job preventing it from spreading further. They are heroes every day, and proved that once again last night.
"Despite the damage to the Reynolds Building and the Coates Local Government Center, the business, operations and service provided by the League staff to its 540 members and insurance pool members will continue and continue largely uninterrupted. The organization is fortunate that our computing operations and data storage is housed almost exclusively by third-party servers away from the League campus. Nonetheless, we ask patience of League and insurance pool members as we continue to assess the damage and adjust operations in light of that damage.
"For more than 100 years, the League’s mission has been to serve cities and towns on a variety of fronts and to advocate on their behalf. Nothing that occurred on Thursday night will change the mission or the dedication of the League’s members and staff to it."
Our staff is grateful for the many offers of help pouring in from members. We will continue to keep you informed as we adjust operations due to the fire damage.
Click here to view dramatic video of the fire captured by Travis Long of the Raleigh News & Observer.