Multiple firefighting agencies are on the scene of a large fire near the Cabarrus-Mecklenburg county line.
HARRISBURG, N.C. — Multiple crews are on the scene of a large fire in the Harrisburg area just outside Charlotte.
WCNC Charlotte received photos and messages from viewers in the Farmington community in Harrisburg, which is just off Interstate 485 and Rocky River Road. The fire was near the area of Clear Creek Lane, which is in Cabarrus County and just east of Mecklenburg County.
The fire appears to have started around 10:30 a.m.
On the ground, large flames near an apartment complex could be seen sending thick, black smoke into the air.
Multiple photos and videos were shared on the WCNC app and on social media.
A photo from Vishnu Reddy appears to show the location of the fire as a building still under construction.
WCNC Charlotte’s Siobhan Riley was also at the scene and captured video of the flames, as seen from an adjacent apartment complex.
The fire caused a massive plume of smoke that was visible for several miles across the Charlotte area.
Weather satellites use their bird-eye view of the planet to help officials discover new wildfires often in remote areas. The satellites first noticed the smoke around 10:36 a.m.
“The smoke plume could be seen for miles, and it showed up on satellite and radar,” WCNC Weather Impact Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich wrote on social media.
Weather radar, typically used to scan moisture in the air, can also detect the particles carried into the sky by smoke. The Charlotte terminal radar, located near Northlake Mall, detected the smoke plume. Radar shows the smoke was being carried by the winds south and east away from the fire.
A WCNC Charlotte weather camera in Anson County could also see the smoke over 40 miles away. The camera was seen on Live Impact News on WCNC+ around 10:40 a.m.
Within an hour, firefighters had extinguished the visible flames. PJ shared video of firefighters continuing to spree water onto the debris, which was not emitting white smoke because of the water being spread.
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