Raleigh fire damages some businesses physically, others financially
ALL AROUND THIS
PERIMETER, BUSINESSES WERE
ALSO SEVERELY IMPACTED BY
THIS FIRE.
WRAL JENNA
BANETEZ JOINS US WITH THE
IMPACT ON THOSE BUSINESSES,
PARTICULARLY ON A WEEKEND
ON MARCH MADNESS AND STATE
PATRICK'S DAY.
GINA.
>>Reporter: YEAH, I'M STANDING HERE
ON JONES
RIGHT AGAIN GLENWOOD AND
WEST.
AS YOU CAN SEE,
STILL A VERY ACTIVE SCENE.
WE HAVE A FIRE TRUCK OUT
HERE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF
FIREFIGHTERS.
A LOT OF
OFFICIAL PERSONNEL OUT HERE
STILL WORKING THE SCENE.
A
LOT OF ROADS CLOSED DOWN AS
WELL.
I WAS STANDING IN
THIS EXACT SAME SPOT LAST
NIGHT AS THAT FIRE RAGED
AND WE KNEW THERE WAS GOING
TO BE A WHOLE LOT OF
DAMAGE, BUT TODAY WE
ACTUALLY SAW JUST HOW BAD
IT ALL IS.
DAYLIGHT GIVING
US A BETTER PICTURE OF HOW
EXTENSIVE THE FIRE DAMAGE
IS.
AT LAST CHECKED, 10
BUILDINGS DAMAGED AND 5
EXTENSIVELY.
WHAT WAS YOUR
THOUGHTS WHEN YOU EITHER
TURNED ON THE NEWS OR FIRST
STARTED HEARING WHAT WAS
GOING ON?
>> UNBELIEVABLE.
IT WAS
JUST -- IT WAS HARD TO LOOK
AT THAT AND THINK IT WAS
REAL, AND THAT IT WAS RIGHT
NEXT TO OUR OFFICE
BUILDING.
>> THE NORTH CAROLINA
ASSOCIATION FOR COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS HAVE OFFICES
IN THE CORAM AND THE
GOVERNMENT'S CENTER.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KEVIN
LEONARD TELLS ME THEY'RE
STILL FIGURING OUT WHERE
THEY'RE GOING TO WORKOUT
OF.
>> SEVERAL OFFICES ARE
BURNED OUT AND IT LOOKS
LIKE THE ROOF HAS SOME
SIGNIFICANT FIRE DAMAGE ON
THE OUTER BUILDING AS WELL.
>> WHILE THE FLAMES DIDN'T
HIT ALL THE NEARBY
BUILDINGS, OTHERS WERE
AFFECTED BY OTHER WAYS.
SPORTS CAFE WAS SEVERAL
BUSINESSES WHERE PEOPLE HAD
TO EVACUATE.
>> MY BROTHER WHO CALLED ME
IN A PANIC BECAUSE IT
REALLY LOOK LIKE IT WAS
GOING TO COME THIS WAY.
THERE WAS NO STOPPING IT.
>> IT TOOK FIRE CREWS THREE
HOURS TO CONTAIN THE FIRE.
>> I'M THANKFUL THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT DID WHAT THEY
DID BECAUSE IT WAS A FIRE
BALL.
>> WHILE THE SPORTS BAR
TOOK A HIT, THE OWNER TELLS
ME IN THE GREAT SCHEME OF
THINGS, IT'S SMALL
POTATOES.
>> THE BUSINESS IS GOING TO
BE GONE AND IT'S GOING TO
BE TOUGH TO GET PEOPLE IN
HERE, BUT EVERYBODY'S OKAY.
>> AS I MENTIONED, A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE OUT OF OFFICE
SPACE.
THEY'RE KIND OF
JUST IN LIMBO RIGHT NOW
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
EXACTLY WHERE THEY WILL
TAKE THEIR WORK.
GOGGLE
FIBER IS ONE OF THE PLACES
THAT'S OFFERING ITS SPACE
TO ANYBODY.
THEY HAVE FREE
INTERNET.
THEY HAD FOOD
ALL DAY LONG AND THEY SAY
THEY'LL OFFER THEIR SERVICE
TO ANYONE EFFECTED, THE
DOWNTOWN RALEIGH LINES ARE
OFFERING THEIR CONFERENCE
ROOM FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.
DAVID BACK TO YOU.
>> YEAH, THE HUMAN SPIRIT
TAKING OVER PEOPLE SURVIVE
AND HOPEFULLY AGAIN ARE
GOING TO THRIVE.