QVC Distribution Building Heavily Damaged in Fire

Corey Mercer, the Rocky Mount fire chief, said the fire was not yet fully under control and that 45 agencies from six counties responded. It was not immediately known what caused the fire or where it began.

By 3 p.m., the fire had damaged up to 75 percent of the building, Chief Mercer said.

Television footage of the fire early Saturday morning showed bright flames and thick smoke billowing from the complex off Highway 64.

In a statement, QVC said it employed about 2,000 people at the building. It is one of the largest employers in Rocky Mount, a city of about 54,000 people, 60 miles east of Raleigh.

“At this time, we are focused on the safety and well-being of our team members,” the company said. “In addition, we are also working to understand the full impact to products and orders and will provide further details to our customers and vendor community as soon as they are available.”

The Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce said the fire could affect 2,500 families in the area.

“We are saddened to wake up to the news of the terrible fire at the QVC Distribution Center in Rocky Mount,” the organization said on Facebook. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the employees of QVC and our brave first responders.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/18/us/fire-qvc-north-carolina.html