Atrium ends mass casualty activation after fire engulfs SouthPark building

CHARLOTTE — Atrium Health’s main hospital was under a mass casualty activation in response to a massive fire that engulfed a construction site Thursday morning. The hospital ended the activation shortly afterward.

Firefighters started arriving at the scene around 9:15 a.m. Thursday after witnesses said a diesel engine being used to lay foam insulation caught fire.

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At the scene, Channel 9′s Genevieve Curtis saw a MEDIC mass casualty transport bus staging. Paramedics told Curtis the bus was there to support crews who had been out fighting the fire all morning.

MEDIC mass casualty transport bus just arrived to this side of the scene @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/rhFmWXRhxB
— Genevieve Curtis (@GenevieveonTV) May 18, 2023

In a statement, a spokesperson for Atrium said Atrium Heath Carolinas Medical Center said since they have the region’s only Level I trauma center, they started preparing for the worst when they heard about the fire.

The hospital activated additional resources in its emergency department and prepared their emergency rooms and nearby hospitals for an influx of patients.

Sources told Channel 9′s Madison Carter the mass casualty activation means they stopped all scheduled cases to free up resources. Another source told Carter the hospital was also working to discharge other patients to free up space in their emergency room.

Paramedics said one person was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. They said two more people were evaluated but were not transported. More injury information is expected to come.

Around 12:30 p.m., the hospital system said it had ended the redirection of its resources.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

(WATCH MORE: ‘Chaotic scene’: Witnesses describe blaze at SouthPark construction site)