Fire in south Charlotte Harris Teeter grocery store was deliberately set, officials say
Update (5/12/25): Joshua Louis Rabon, a 38-year-old man from Lancaster, South Carolina, was charged in February with setting the store on fire.
Charlotte fire officials on Saturday said a two-alarm fire the night before in the Harris Teeter grocery store in Blakeney, south Charlotte, was deliberately set.
“The Charlotte Fire Investigation Task Force determined the fire to be incendiary in nature causing 20k in damages,” fire officials said on the social media site X.
Investigators didn’t disclose the type of incendiary device they believe was involved.
“The case remains open and active at this time,” department officials said.
Just before 9 p.m. Friday, firefighters responded to reports of a fire in the store in the 9700 block of Rea Road.
Everyone was evacuated safely, and no one was hurt, according to the department.
Sixty firefighters took 50 minutes to control the fire. Five fire trucks responded to the store, Charlotte Observer news partner WSOC reported.
Fire officials haven’t said how extensively the store was damaged.
In a statement to The Charlotte Observer, Harris Teeter officials said they were grateful to store workers “for the quick response” safely evacuating colleagues and customers, and for the emergency responders “who bravely worked to extinguish the fire.”
“Thanks to the swift efforts of our team and emergency responders, the support of professional restoration companies and guidance from the Health Department, the Blakeney Harris Teeter location re-opened on Monday,” according to the statement.
According to N.C. General Statutes:
“Any person who willfully and maliciously damages any real or personal property of any kind or nature, being at the time occupied by another, by the use of any explosive or incendiary device or material is guilty of a felony punishable as a Class D felony.”
Class D felonies carry a standard sentence of four to 10 years and a maximum sentence of 17 years, according to Criminal Defense Lawyer.com.
Staff Writer Catherine Muccigrosso contributed.
This story was originally published January 18, 2025 at 10:50 AM.