Media365
A fire on the roof of the Raleigh convention center was contained within an hour on Monday night after a natural gas incident sparked flames around 9.30pm, according to city of Raleigh officials. No injuries were reported.City spokeswoman Julia Milstead told WRAL that the blaze was restricted to the roof and did not spread into the building’s interior. Lights remained on inside the centre during the incident, and no nearby structures were affected, even as flames and smoke were visible across downtown.Milstead said security staff were inside when the fire broke out but were able to exit quickly. Around 50 firefighters responded, and operations began scaling down by 10.45pm, though crews were expected to remain at the site overnight. Residents were advised to avoid the area while work continued.Videos on social media show flames shooting from the rooftop minutes after the fire started. No events were underway at the time.Raleigh mayor Janet Cowell described the convention centre as an “important civic asset” and said officials would meet at City Hall on Tuesday for updates. “I hope we can repair damage and have it back functioning normally as soon as possible,” she said.According to the convention centre’s website, the North Carolina cybersecurity summit is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a holiday event on Friday. While Milstead confirmed no internal damage, it remains unclear how the roof incident might affect upcoming events.WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell noted that calm winds aided firefighting, but nearly an inch of rain was forecast for Tuesday. Officials have not yet indicated whether roof damage could lead to leaks.WRAL said further updates would be provided overnight and during its morning bulletin from 4.30am.
