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Residents pick up pieces after deadly condo fire; no foul play suspected

CHARLOTTE — A couple living directly below the Uptown Charlotte condo that caught fire Tuesday afternoon is figuring out their next steps.

According to the police report for the incident, a 69-year-old woman was found dead inside one of the Springfield Square Condos on West Eight Street in Fourth Ward. Police have not identified her yet.

Charlotte Fire offered its condolences to her family.

“Charlotte Fire sends our deepest sympathy to the family and loved ones of the victim of yesterday’s tragic fire,” they said.

Firefighters said while they aren’t sure yet what caused the fire, their don’t believe any criminal activity led to its ignition.

More than a dozen people are now trying to figure out how to move forward from the fire, and several of them spoke to Channel 9′s Evan Donovan on Wednesday.

The people in the unit directly beneath where the fire broke out, Nicole Barry and her fiancé Travis Facemire, said they’re picking up what’s left of their lives. They said firefighters actually had to pull Facemire out of the shower.

“He said when he got out of the shower, he didn’t notice anything was weird,” Barry said. “He didn’t know why the firefighters were pulling him out because he didn’t see anything.”

The two were planning their wedding next year but now, they’re just planning for tomorrow. They showed Donovan what’s left of their condo. Their clothes, bedroom, and home office were all soaked and unusable.

The couple is just two of 16 people displaced by the fire, which raged through the condos for at least an hour Tuesday afternoon. It took 60 firefighters to get it under control.

Barry and Facemire are looking to start over, but they hope their place can be fixed.

“We’re trying to just, day by day, see what insurance can help us with, Red Cross can help us with -- just ‘cause we won’t be living here for a while,” Barry said.

(PREVIOUS: Smoke from massive condominium fire surrounds Uptown Charlotte)


Evan Donovan

Evan Donovan, wsoctv.com

Evan is an anchor and reporter for Channel 9.