Glue gun, lamp blamed for 3-alarm fire at warehouse in Belmont community

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than 60 firefighters responded to a three-alarm fire Friday afternoon at a warehouse in the Belmont community outside of uptown Charlotte.

Fire and smoke overcame a commercial storage building, home to at least four businesses.

Officials said a glue gun and lamp caused the massive blaze.

"I thought at first it was an explosion,” said Rachel Miller, who lives nearby.

Chopper 9 was over the scene, where heavy smoke could be seen coming from the building in the 1000 block of Louise Avenue.

“Nothing really happens down this way, so I had to cut around, and I come back up here and just seen all the police and firemen,” Miller said. “It’s usually quiet down here.”

Fire officials said the sprinklers activated inside the building, making it easier for them to fight the fire, which was contained in less than two hours.

They said the biggest challenge was the heavy smoke.

"There was zero visibility,” said Joshua Johnson, with the Charlotte Fire Department. “We got to be able to find the source of the fire without getting any firefighters lost or trapped.”

The blaze reportedly caused about $50,000 in damage and no injuries were reported.

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