Board-up and tarping in University City

A typical two- or three-story garden building has units opening onto a shared breezeway or stairwell, all under one continuous roof ^[6]. A fire in one unit can break windows and doors on its own unit and scorch the breezeway beside it. Crews secure the fire unit's entry door and windows, then check neighboring units for broken glass.

Ground-floor sliding patio doors are the biggest openings to close in these buildings. Upper-floor balconies may need panels across the slider and a check that the balcony itself is still sound before anyone stands on it.

Because one roof covers many units, a hole burned above one apartment lets rain fall into an attic that runs over its neighbors too. A tarp needs to cover the damage with plenty of overlap and be fixed to sound framing. On a long roof, crews may need to work from a lift.

Charlotte gets frequent summer thunderstorms, and remnants of tropical storms sometimes drop heavy rain over several days. A roof cover that is not firmly fixed can fail in a single storm, so checking the forecast before and after the work is worth the time ^[5].

Single-family houses in University City subdivisions are usually two stories with vinyl siding, an attached garage and a fairly steep roof. Upper-floor windows need a tall ladder or lift, and steep roofs call for safety lines. Vinyl siding near the fire can melt, so panels are fixed to window frames and framing rather than through soft siding.

Attached garages are a frequent starting point for house fires. If the overhead door is warped, bracing it closed or covering the opening keeps the house sealed.

Many renters near UNC Charlotte are students, sometimes several sharing one unit. After a fire, each person's belongings may be covered by their own renters policy, a parent's homeowner policy, or nothing at all. Removing laptops, documents, medicines and other important items early, once allowed, saves worry later.

The American Red Cross often helps people displaced by a home fire with immediate needs such as lodging and essentials ^[7].

Newer townhomes and mid-rise apartments built near the light rail stations often have three or more floors, and some have low-slope roofs covered with a membrane. Covering an opening in a membrane roof is different from tarping shingles, and higher windows may need a lift.

In these communities, management or the association typically coordinates securing the building.

Temporary covers usually go on without a permit, while structural repairs afterward go through Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement ^[4]. Keep records of when covers went on.

The North Carolina Department of Insurance explains how property claims generally work and can help with questions ^[1].

Once the property is closed, drying water from firefighting in units below and cleaning smoke from neighbors can begin. The University City page explains how shared buildings recover.

Our guide on whether it is safe to stay after a fire helps renters decide whether to stay in a nearby unit.