Former QVC employee speaks with WRAL Investigates about deadly December 2021 warehouse fire, ATF can't determine cause

The former QVC employee spoke with WRAL Investigates on the condition of anonymity. He said the fire alarm sounded when the fire began. However, he said the building’s sprinkler system did not turn on, allowing the fire to spread rapidly.

“It was maybe within 10 minutes of the fire actually starting probably,” he said. “There were a few guys up there trying to get it under control with fire extinguishers, but it just, it wasn’t going to happen.”

The former employee said no water was released that night, to his knowledge.

WRAL Investigates obtained text messages from former Rocky Mount City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney to the city council on the night of the fire. The texts support the former QVC employee's story.

The texts read, when the fire started, "Employees tried to put it out with fire extinguishers but were not able to. They are not sure if the fire sprinklers worked correctly, if even at all."

All 284 employees inside were reported safe, except for Kevon Ricks, who died inside the building. Ricks was 21.

Massive 5-alarm fire destroys most of Rocky Mount QVC distribution center

“Every angle was evaluated and all possible causes were investigated thoroughly. The primary goal is to find out if the cause is accidental, natural, or incendiary. In the end, investigators found that there was not enough evidence to support an exact cause of the fire," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims.

He went on to say, “Investigators looked very closely at whether or not this was a criminal act. Throughout the investigation, there has been no evidence discovered which would support any findings that the cause of this fire was a result of criminal activity.”

“While a specific cause could not be found, we hope the Ricks’ family and everyone impacted by the fire knows that every effort was made and every resource was used to make sure this investigation was as thorough as possible," said Edgecombe County Sheriff Cleveland Atkinson.

QVC never reopened the plant, laying off 1,900 workers.

Former QVC employee details investigation into warehouse fire

WRAL Investigates obtained previously unreleased documents, and spoke with a former QVC employee, who shed new light on the investigation.

Four days after the fire started, Edgecombe County Sheriff Cleveland Atkinson told WRAL News that authorities were investigating arson as a possible cause.

Then, the ATF then took over the investigation.

WRAL Investigates reveals there were early suspicions about the cause and questions about the building's sprinkler system.

The former QVC employee also said that investigators quickly determined that it was unlikely the fire was caused accidentally.

“It was within hours they were moving away from that,” the former QVC employee said.

A high-level local law enforcement source told WRAL Investigates that in the days after the QVC fire, they were informed by the ATF that investigators were "moving away" from the fire being an accident. WRAL Investigates asked the former QVC employee if the move lined up with communications inside the building.

“The few conversations that I had directly after, and I’m talking hours and days, absolutely,” the former QVC employee said.

The former QVC employee said rumors continue that Ricks started the fire. He said Ricks’ body was found hundreds of feet from where the fire started.

No evidence suggests Ricks had anything to do with the incident. The former QVC employee wants the point to be clear that Ricks did not cause the fire.

“There’s no doubt in my mind, there’s no doubt in anyone with the company’s mind, it just hasn’t been said enough,” the former QVC employee said. “It hasn’t been said loud enough.”

In the same release the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Director Bob Schurmeier director is quoted, saying, “Investigators made every effort to … evaluate every theory, tip, and lead brought forward. This team has looked into every contributable factor, including the equipment and infrastructure of the facility, the types of products in the area of the fire’s origin, and employee actions and whereabouts. In the end, science has helped explain and dismiss a majority of the possible causes.”

The ATF says that while its investigation is complete, investigators are keeping their tipline open and encourage anyone with more information to call in.

When asked directly about information that the sprinklers didn’t go off during the fire, the ATF didn’t answer WRAL Investigates’ question.

WRAL Investigates also reached out to QVC about the sprinklers, but were told that the company has shared all relevant information with investigators.