High rise owner grateful to escape nearby inferno
DEBRA MORGAN.
>> I'M GERALD OWENS.
OUR
DAVID CRABTREE SPENT THE
DAY IN RALEIGH.
WHAT IS IT
LIKE AFTER A SCARY NIGHT
LAST NIGHT.
>>Reporter: PEOPLE ARE,
GERALD.
THEY'RE IN SHOCK
OF WHAT THEY SAW LAST
NIGHT.
THEY'RE VERY
GRATEFUL OF WHAT THEY'RE
SEEING TODAY INCLUDING THE
FIRST RESPONDERS HERE
WORKING WITH PEOPLE AND
HELPING NOW TO CLEANUP
WHICH WILL MEAN A TIME OF
REBUILDING.
NOW FOR TENS
OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO
TRAVEL CAPITAL BOULEVARD
COMING TO DOWNTOWN RALEIGH
TO WORK, THIS IS WHAT THEY
SEE.
IT'S A LANDMARK FOR
RALEIGH.
IT'S THE CORAM, A
15-STORY CONDO UNIT BUILT A
DOZEN YEARS AGO.
IT'S
ACROSS THE STREET OF WHAT'S
LEFT OF THE METROPOLITAN,
THAT $52 MILLION COMPLEX
PROJECT.
CORAM SUFFERED
DAMAGE LAST NIGHT.
WE
TALKED WITH ITS OWNER
TODAY, THE WHO HAD THE
VISION TO BUILD IT, TED
REYNOLDS, EXCLUSIVELY ABOUT
WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO SEE HIS
VISION COME UNDER ATTACK.
>> NATIONWIDE IT HAS
ALREADY SET UP A RESERVE
BETWEEN 5 AND 7 MILLION
JUST FOR THE CORAM
BUILDING.
SO IT'S A LOT OF
DAMAGE.
>> THAT'S THE STARTING
POINT.
LOOK AT THE NORTH
SIDE OF THIS BUILDING FULL
OF LUXURY CONDOS FROM THE
12th FLOOR DOWN, WINDOWS
BLOWN OUT FROM THE HEAT.
AND WATER DAMAGE INSIDE
FROM SPRINKLERS.
TED
REYNOLDS BUILT THIS
LANDMARK 12 YEARS AGO.
HE
AND HIS WIFE LIVED ON THE
15th FLOOR.
FIREFIGHTERS
WORKED TODAY CLEARING
DAMAGED GLASS.
AND WHAT A
VIEW, UNTIL LATE LAST
NIGHT.
>> 10:15, TURNED THE LIGHTS
OUT AND OUR CURTAINS COME
DOWN IN FRONT OF THE -- AND
THEY WERE KIND OF GLOWING
AND I HIT THE BUTTON AND
RAISED THE CURTAIN AND
OPENED THE DOOR.
WE HAVE A
TERRACE OUTSIDE AND THE
FLAMES FROM THAT FIRE WERE
UP ABOVE THE 15th FLOOR.
AND I WENT BACK IN.
I WOKE
PEGGY.
AND I SAID "WE GOT
TO LEAVE."
THANK HEAVENS WE MANAGED TO
GET ON THE
ELEVATOR BEFORE IT CUT OFF
BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T HAVE
COME DOWN THE STEPS.
>> WHEN YOU WALKED ON THAT
BALCONY AND YOU'RE ON THE
15th FLOOR LOOKING DOWN AT
THIS BUILDING AND THE
FLAMES ARE COMING BELOW YOU
--
>> ABOVE ME.
>> WHAT DID YOU THINK.
>> I DIDN'T KNOW IF A BOMB
HIT -- HAD BEEN IGNITED OR
JUST WHAT IT HAPPENED.
BUT
I DIDN'T WANT TO STOP AND
TALK ABOUT IT.
I WANTED TO
GET OUT OF THE BUILDING.
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]
THE
CONTRACTOR ON THE BUILDING
BUILT THE CORAM.
TIM
CALLED ME THIS MORNING AND
HE WANTED TO KNOW IF WE
WERE OKAY.
BUT HE WAS
CLEARLY DISTURBED BY THE
WHOLE THING.
HE HAD A FIRE
INSPECTION ON THAT BUILDING
THAT BURNED LAST NIGHT.
A
FIRE INSPECTION WAS ON
TUESDAY.
>> WOW.
>> AND IT CAME DOWN ON
THURSDAY.
>> WHAT AN EXAMPLE OF HOW
QUICKLY THINGS CAN CHANGE.
A FIRE INSPECTION ON
TUESDAY, THE BUILDING BURNS
48 HOURS LATER.
TED
REYNOLDS SAYS THE PEOPLE
WHO LIVE IN CORAM WILL COME
BACK INCLUDING HIM AND HIS
WIFE PEGGY, BUT IT'S GOING
TO BE A WHILE BEFORE
INSURANCE INVESTIGATORS ARE
INSIDE.
IT'S GOING TO BE A
WHILE BEFORE THE FIRE
INVESTIGATORS ARE ABLE TO
GO THROUGH THAT BUILDING TO
BEGIN THE CLEANUP AND THE
ULTIMATE REBUILDING
PROCESS.