Fire hits Raleigh high-rise apartment building

The fire started in the kitchen of Apartment 801 on the top floor of the Carriage House, 116 St. Mary's St., around 8 a.m., according to an incident report. The fire was brought under control within 12 minutes and contained to the apartment where it broke out.

That apartment had enough so that it is uninhabitable, the report says. The floor had smoke and water damage, but none of the other 13 units on the floor were damaged.

Twelve residents were evacuated from their apartments and taken to the first floor as a precaution, Assistant Fire Chief Rusty Styons said. Clean-up was to be completed and residents allowed to return to their apartments by noon.

Fire investigators determined that fire was started by cooking food left unattended. The fire was ruled accidental.

Styons said a large number of fire crews and EMS workers, including 34 firefighters and at least four ambulances, responded to the fire because of the danger presented by a fire in a high-rise building that houses the elderly and disabled.

It was fortunate the fire broke out on the top floor of the high-rise building, Styons said. If the fire had been on a lower floor, there might have been more damage, since smoke rises.

Carriage House is run by the Raleigh Housing Authority and provides housing for those over age 50 and those with health issues.