Crews battle 3-alarm fire at historic Varnadore building in east Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — Crews battled a three-alarm fire Friday night at the historic Varnadore building in east Charlotte.

The abandoned seven-story building is off Independence Boulevard near Pierson Street. The fire started after 6 p.m. on the third floor.

Firefighters navigated through dark hallways and staircases to get to the flames.

“It’s a lot of trash, boxes, old furniture inside the structure. The building has a lot of locked doors, chained doors,” CFD Capt. Jackie Gilmore said.

Firefighters found someone inside and that person was taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation.

“Shocked really and surprised to see this happen on the corner like this,” neighbor Vivian Sanders said.

Charlotte Fire is still investigating how the fire started. Investigators said there is evidence of homeless activity throughout the building.

It took 68 firefighters 22 minutes to control the fire, and it caused an estimated $11,000 in damage. No firefighters were injured.

The building has been a staple in Charlotte since 1962.

The site has been the center of discussion for revitalization projects.

The Charlotte City Council approved a redevelopment project for the site in 2019. Councilman Matt Newton said Sunday that cleanup and demolition could start in a few weeks.

“Looking at the building, I can’t tell there is any construction work going on right now,” Gilmore said. “It is just an abandoned building on Independence.”

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