Tuesday, October 3, 2023

114 West Elm Street
Graham, NC 27253
Ph: 336.228.7851

After multi-agency investigation: cause of Tues. night mill building fire “undetermined”

Firefighters from Graham, Burlington, and Mebane fire departments have now completed a “primary and secondary search of the entire complex” of the former Culp Weaving plant on East Parker Street where a 3-alarm fire broke out Tuesday night, according to a release from the Graham fire department’s chief, Tommy Cole, on Friday, October 14.

“Fire investigators have ruled the fire cause as undetermined,” according to the fire chief.  “An area of fire origin was established,” according to the release, “but unfortunately, due to the building being unsecured for such a long period of time leading up to the fire, investigators were unable to determine if potential evidence was linked to the fire event or not.”

Parts of the former Culp Weaving plant at 300 East Parker Street were still smoldering Wednesday morning, the remaining signs of a large fire the night before that brought fire trucks from every Alamance County fire department to the scene to assist.

[Story continues below photos.]

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Wednesday morning scenes at the site overnight fire

From across the railroad tracks behind the mill, the breadth of the smoldering from the previous night’s fire could be seen Wednesday morning.
Firefighters were at the ready Wednesday morning (above) in case any of the smoldering areas of the fire flared up (see below).

This is on the back side of the mill, along Cannon Street, but it was unclear whether the damage here was from the fire or longer-term deterioration in the building’s condition.
A fence surrounds part of the property, here with a gate on the White Street side of the mill; however, the fence had been cut through several places.
The front and main office area of the former Culp Weaving plant on East Parker Street were seemingly untouched by the fire, which was concentrated on a warehouse area on the back and west side of the property near the railroad tracks that run behind the property.

On the scene Wednesday morning were representatives from the Alamance County arson task force, along with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, to assess the damage and potential cause for the fire; also assisting were representatives from Burlington, Mebane, and Chapel Hill fire departments.

According to the Graham department, “The investigation into this fire will be left open and ongoing, pending other information and evidence that may be presented in the future.”


See initial coverage, with photos of the fire from Tuesday night: https://alamancenews.com/an-all-call-fire-as-all-county-fire-depts-respond-to-tues-night-fire-at-old-mill-in-graham/

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