A couple of hundred people crowded the parking lot at the Water Tower Plaza and the ABC store across the street Sunday to watch one of Mooresville's first fast-food restaurants go up in flames Sunday afternoon.
The McDonald's on Plaza Drive was reduced to flaming rubble in less than 90 minutes, culminating four days of preparation and training for the Mooresville Fire Department, and ending 30 years of memories for many who frequented the restaurant.
It seemed more like a social gathering than a fire, with many bringing blankets and chairs and stocking up on fried chicken and soft drinks from the KFC next door.
Barbara Martin, who worked at the McDonald's for eight years, was one of the many people standing in the taped-off area in the KFC parking lot to watch her long-time place of employment go up in flames.
Mike Neader, owner of the McDonald's franchises in Iredell County, said the building was going to be demolished to make way for a bigger and newer McDonald's in the same spot. Neader offered the building to the fire department rather than just having it bulldozed to make room for the newer facility.
Wes Greene, MFD chief, said the building offered the fire department challenges it rarely gets in training fires, and the ability to see how a fire moves, how hot it burns and other dynamics of the fire in a McDonald's holds special significance to the fire service.
"It was nine years ago that two firefighters were killed fighting a fire in a building in Houston that had the same floor plan," he said.
In the days preceding the practice fire on Sunday, all four of Mooresville's fire stations used the facility to train in various aspects of firefighting, Greene said, including rescuing firefighters in "mayday" situations, in hopes of preventing a similar occurrence as in Houston.
On Sunday, Greene said, the plan was to light the fire and watch the place burn, observing patterns, especially in terms of how the building ultimately collapsed.
Instructors from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's fire science program put thermal sensors in the building to sense the various temperature changes and download that data to a computer to be used in studying how to approach such structure fires.
Greene said getting a building in such good shape and a commercial facility to boot was unusual for the fire department. "This is only the second time in my career, some 33 years, that we've gotten a commercial building. This training is invaluable," he said.
While the firefighters were getting the training, others, like Martin, were saddened to see the building go.
"It's sad," she said. "There's a lot of memories there, both good and bad. She said she plans to take the time off until the new McDonald's is rebuilt and opens in June. She'll be back behind the counter. "I really enjoy working at McDonald's," she said.
A few of those who came out to watch the fire used it as a learning tool for their kids.
Cindy Collins and her family, including daughter Emma and son Steve, walked from their nearby home to watch.
Collins said she used the fact that the thick, black smoke appeared before the flames to tell her kids that smoke is as dangerous, if not more so, than flames.
At one point, the thick black smoke forced the Mooresville Police Department to block Plaza Drive from the Charlotte Highway intersection.
As the flames engulfed the building, and the heat became so intense the fire department began to hose down its trucks, Martin said the sight did more than stir up memories.
"It gives you new respect for the firefighters," she said.
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