Meeker Calls for Study of Raleigh Fire Codes

Raleigh, N.C. — Less than two weeks after a fire ripped through a north Raleigh townhouse complex, Mayor Charles Meeker on Tuesday called for an independent study of the city's fire codes.

Meeker asked City Manager Russell Allen to look at naming an outside committee to review the fire codes and recommend any necessary changes.

"If there are things that need to be changed, it's time the city make those changes," he said.

Meeker said he has several questions such as whether a more durable material like brick could have slowed the fire down. Any changes to the fire code, however, would likely need approval from the North Carolina Building Code Council.

The Feb. 22 fire at the Pine Knoll Townes complex destroyed 27 units and damaged 11 others. Authorities determined the fire was started by carelessly discarded smoking materials, and high winds fanned the flames.

The City Council on Tuesday also thanked dozens of firefighters for their work in battling the fire, which was one of the biggest in recent city history.

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I lived in Alexandria, VA thirty years ago and the building code there required a 12 inch masonry wall between units in townhouse dwellings. Such a code is long overdue in NC. Stop the wind during fires? No, just require builders to build with fire safety/containment in the codes.

rc4nc
March 7, 2007 9:29 a.m.

Remarkably strange. There are licensed building inspectors on staff and your Mayor wants to take the City Manager's attention from finding a Police Chief to re-reading the State's building codes determine if these highly skilled people have figured out how to stop the wind from blowing during a fire. Council members and city staff must be shaking their heads and laughing up a storm.

Taxpayer
March 6, 2007 9:51 p.m.

also, lets all pray for the fire codes b/c they will be going thru some changes I bet and we all know that change is hard to accept for some. I just hope the codes are ok with it! ha ha

sorry bout the caps last time!

no screen name
March 6, 2007 7:08 p.m.

WHY CAN'T PEOPLE KEEP THEIR CIG BUTTS IN THEIR OWN CARS AND PROPERTY? I HATE WHEN PEOPLE LITTER WITH THESE THINGS!!

no screen name
March 6, 2007 7:07 p.m.

Well of course it needs more study - have you found any part of business that mr meeker does feel it's his domain to meddle in. I mean afer all, isn't the government's view much better than those nasty developers and isn't his judgment much better than his own fire department's?

Every day I look at that empty pedestrian bridge he built for about $4,000,000.00 and I think, you know, you just can't do much better than that.

When is Raleigh going to replace this walking joke?

delete024
March 6, 2007 6:07 p.m.