When Angels Show Up: How Love Carried Us Through A Fire

Sometimes, life brings moments we can’t explain, when it feels like grace and protection are found at every turn. At Holy Angels, we call them “Mercy Moments,” times when Earth and Heaven intersect.  Friday night at Holy Angels was full of those Mercy Moments. 

crews from Belmont, Mount Holly, New Hope, Cramerton, West Mecklenburg and Gaston County arrived quickly.

It all began Friday night with a power outage along Wilkinson Boulevard, caused by two blown transformers. The resulting surge affected our friends and neighbors at Belmont Abbey, the Sisters of Mercy, and nearby homes. Here at Holy Angels, the surge damaged some of our medical equipment across our entire campus and started a fire in an office inside the Morrow Center. 

Thanks to the quick thinking of a staff member, all 20 residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions were evacuated calmly and safely, maintaining uninterrupted continuity of care.  

The First Mercy Moment 

It was by chance, or divine intervention, that the staff member happened to take a different path to where she was headed, and noticed the faint smell of smoke. Following her instincts, she immediately called a supervisor and 911, and together they began evacuating residents out of an abundance of caution before any fire alarm sounded.   

Fire drills are common practice at Holy Angels. In a typical house fire, evacuation can take up to ten minutes, but Holy Angels staff demonstrated their knowledge and preparation by moving sleeping residents with disabilities and complex medical needs in half that time. Because power was unreliable, all campus residents were moved into one home for a brief time, surrounded by the care, comfort and peace that defines Holy Angels.  

Love and commitment made the impossible possible. Our staff are truly exceptional!  

Mercy in the Fire 

a look behind the door where the fire was contained.

Inside, the fire was contained to an interior office – held back by a door that stopped the flames from spreading. This was yet another Mercy Moment – fire crews tell us if our staff hadn’t acted quickly, or those flames breached that door, it would have been a very different story.

The next Mercy Moment came swiftly – from our local first responders. We know when our first responders hear Holy Angels on a call, they bring the full might of their capabilities and Friday night was no different. Seven fire trucks from Belmont, Mount Holly, New Hope, Cramerton, West Mecklenburg and Gaston County arrived and quickly brought the fire under control. This response is familiar to us—knowing our residents’ complex needs, our local fire department have partnered with us to train and prepare for situations like this, and they notified Gaston EMS to come prepared to transport residents if needed. The first fire truck to arrive was driven by a young firemanwho quickly caught our attention. He was a former Holy Angels Volunteen, who spent summers in high school supporting our residents, and knew both them and our campus well.   

Small Fire, Big Impact 

While the fire was small, the impact is huge. 20 residents are now displaced from their home. Many are staying in other homes around campus, creating bedrooms in spaces like therapy rooms. Some families kindly brought their residents home to share their space. The Sisters of Mercy graciously offered a home with six beds for some residents. 

The Morrow Center, where the fire occurred, is the heart of our campus. Many activities take place there including our classrooms for students in school, our commercial kitchen and food storage, music therapy, sensory rooms and more. The flames were contained to one office, but thick smoke filled the building, seeping into bedding, toys, and medical equipment, and coating everything in a layer of soot. In addition to residents displaced from their home, more than 50 staff are also displaced from their offices and workspaces and are finding creative ways to work differently.  

the guardian angel is the only thing left on the walls in the office where the fire was contained.

The building also houses much of our medical care – our Fisher Health Care Center and Curlin Clinic, which contain specialized medical equipment our residents rely on. The smoke and power surge damaged much of what we use daily, especially for the most medically fragile residents who live in the Morrow Center.  

One office was destroyed in the fire. As our staff member went in to view the damage, she saw the office where she has reported to work daily for 44 years reduced to ashes. But there on the wall, one picture withstood the flames – a guardian angel. It was a stark reminder to find peace in the Mercy Moments through life’s most turbulent storms. 

Community Angels Step In 

Mercy showed up with our local medical partners at Atrium and CaroMont, who opened their doors to some residents to proactively stay at their hospitals, giving them comfort and critical access to the equipment they need. Leaders from CaroMont came out to campus the next day to help us assess damage, offering advice and providing equipment to help us through this time. 

Beyond emergency and medical services, our community has wrapped us with love and support. Immediately, Southside, the construction team building our new children’s homes offered help, and electricians from Dallas Electric and the team from Guardian security worked through the night. Duke Energy was quick to respond and help restore power. Our board of directors, supporters and friends have lifted us up with prayers and encouragement. Local organizations have provided food for our staff, and messages of care poured in from every direction. Families of our residents connected us to resources and graciously brought residents home to share space with those who were displaced. 

We have felt every prayer and every act of kindness.  

For more than 70 years we have been led by Mercy, and shown Mercy. In the aftermath of this fire, we have witnessed Mercy time and again. Words cannot capture the gratitude we have for the thoughtfulness and quick action of our staff, for the adaptability and care from our families, and the love and support from our community, who have shown up for us in big and small ways. It is beautiful to see how this community wraps its arms around our residents – considering them, loving them, and keeping them safe not only today, but every day.   

Moving Forward 

staff welcome residents who were displaced to their temporary homes.

We are doing all we can to make the most of our space and ensure our residents continue to receive the loving, high-quality care they deserve, delivered by nurses and direct support staff who know them best.

Our residents are thriving without interruption to their daily routines. They are enjoying walks, celebrating birthdays, and making music. This is the heart of Holy Angels: providing exceptional care and making sure every person is cared for and cherished, no matter what. 

resident ana smiles during music therapy in her temporary home.

There are still many questions to answer and steps to take in the path to recovery. We are beginning the clean-up and assessment process. There is a long road ahead to restore our medical spaces and replace the equipment that was lost.  

We remain grounded in the knowledge that things can be replaced—what matters most is that our residents and staff are safe, healthy, and surrounded by love.

Now more than ever, we know God’s hands are truly on this place.