A natural gas-fed roof fire sent thick black smoke over downtown Raleigh but was extinguished in about 30 minutes

By Brooke Cain Josh Shaffer
The Herald-Sun

RALEIGH, N.C. — A fire reported Monday night at the Raleigh Convention Center downtown is under control, city officials said, as thick black smoke filled the sky.

The fire, reported at 9:29 p.m., was described as a “natural gas incident” that started on the convention center’s roof, Raleigh public information officer Julia Milstead told The News & Observer. It was out by 10 p.m.

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No injuries were reported. Milstead said 17 people were inside the building at the time, and they exited the center safely.

A cause of the fire is still being determined, Milstead said, but it happened near a mechanical platform. The gas was later turned off, she said.

The Raleigh Convention Center is between South McDowell and South Salisbury streets. It’s a hub for major professional conventions and events, including GalaxyCon Raleigh, the Downtown Raleigh Home Show and business meetings.

No events were being held at the convention center Monday night, Milstead said.

‘Smoke coming off the roof’

Flames briefly shot well above the roof, as seen in multiple videos captured of the downtown blaze.

But just past 10 p.m., only smoke could be seeing rising above the building of South McDowell Street.

“We just saw smoke coming off the roof,” said Cate Kimball, working at nearby Poole’s Diner. “It didn’t go any lower than that.”

The air smelled like burnt plastic for several blocks.

Around 50 firefighters responded. They appeared to have the blaze under control by 10:30 p.m.

A ladder truck extended above the roofline as patrons from nearby bars and restaurants collected on the sidewalk. Smoke above the Shimmer Wall

Finished in 2008, the convention center contains 500,000 square feet of space over three levels. It cost more than $200 million to build, among Raleigh’s most expensive projects at the time. The building is notable for the Shimmer Wall facing Red Hat Amphitheater on South McDowell Street. The massive mural of a tree by Thomas Sayre changes colors thanks to lights shined on it from across the street.

The wall remained lit as the fire burned, with some initially mistaking its bright red and yellow lights for flames.

The Raleigh Convention Center has several events scheduled in the coming days, including North Carolina Cybersecurity Summit on Wednesday and Thursday, a holiday party on Friday and two cheerleading competitions Saturday and Sunday. A three-day trade show is scheduled the following weekend for the Association Executives of North Carolina.

The city has embarked on a major expansion project for the building to attract more events with additional event space and meeting rooms. The $387.5 million project includes relocating Red Hat Amphitheater.

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