Skip to content
Triangle Local

Apex, Wake County

Apex: Everyone gets out safely after house fire on Center Street

Firefighters found flames and smoke on the second floor of a home in the 1300 block of Center Street late Tuesday afternoon. No one was hurt, and the cause is under investigation.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

Fire damage to the second floor and roof of the Center Street home in Apex after the Oct. 6, 2026 fire, with a firefighter in the foreground.

Photo: Town of Apex Fire Department

What we know

Confirmed

  • The Apex Fire Department was dispatched shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, to a house fire in the 1300 block of Center Street.Confirmed by Apex fire officials, as reported by WRAL
  • Crews arrived within four minutes and found flames and smoke coming from the second floor.Confirmed by Apex fire officials, as reported by WRAL
  • Everyone who lived in the home got out safely, and no one was hurt.Confirmed by Apex fire officials, as reported by WRAL
  • Cary firefighters, Wake County EMS, the Apex Police Department and the Wake County Fire Marshal's Office assisted.Confirmed by Apex fire officials, as reported by WRAL
  • The cause of the fire is under investigation.Confirmed by Apex fire officials, as reported by WRAL
  • The fire happened during Fire Prevention Week, which the Town of Apex is marking Oct. 3 to 10.Confirmed by Town of Apex

Still unknown

  • What caused the fire
  • How much damage the home suffered, and whether it can be lived in
  • How many people lived there, and whether they have been displaced

What this means for you

Instructions from Town of Apex fire safety guidance (apexnc.org)

Install smoke alarms and test them once a month, know two ways out of each room, pick an outside meeting place, and never go back into a burning building. In a fire, get out and call 911.

What happened

Everyone inside a home on Center Street in Apex got out safely when it caught fire late Tuesday afternoon, and no one was hurt, fire officials said.

The Apex Fire Department was dispatched shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, to the 1300 block of Center Street. Firefighters arrived within four minutes and found flames and smoke coming from the second floor, according to fire officials quoted by WRAL.

Apex Fire Department Engine 31 and a Town of Apex ladder truck at the scene of the Center Street house fire on Oct. 6, 2026.
Photo: Town of Apex Fire Department

The cause is under investigation.

The response

Apex firefighters were joined by firefighters from Cary, Wake County EMS, the Apex Police Department and the Wake County Fire Marshal's Office, officials said.

Fire officials have not said how long it took to bring the fire under control, how badly the house was damaged, or how many people lived there. They also have not said whether the residents will be able to stay in the home.

Officials released only the block, not the home's address, and we are not publishing it.

During Fire Prevention Week

The fire came in the middle of Fire Prevention Week, which the Town of Apex is marking from Oct. 3 to 10 with events and safety reminders from its fire department.

The town's fire safety guidance asks residents to:

  • Put smoke alarms in the home, test them once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year
  • Know two ways out of every room, and make sure windows aren't painted or nailed shut
  • Pick a meeting place outside, and never go back into a burning building
  • Keep flammable materials stored safely and avoid overloading electrical outlets
  • Make sure the house number is easy to see from the street so fire trucks can find the home

If there is a fire, the town says, get out, warn others and call 911. Stay low if there is smoke, because smoke and heat rise.

What happens next

The fire remains under investigation, and officials have not said when they expect to release a cause. The Wake County Fire Marshal's Office was among the agencies at the scene.

We will update this story if fire officials share the cause or more details about the family.

Why it matters

A fast response and a family that got out in time kept a second-floor fire from hurting anyone. It happened during Fire Prevention Week, when Apex firefighters are reminding residents to test smoke alarms and plan two ways out of every room.

Our video on this story

Playing loads TikTok's player, which follows TikTok's own privacy policy. Watch on TikTok

Updates

  1. Oct 6, 2026, 9:14 PM

    Fire officials say all residents got out and no one was hurt. The cause is under investigation.

  2. Oct 6, 2026, 5:00 PM

    The Apex Fire Department is dispatched shortly after 5 p.m. to a house fire in the 1300 block of Center Street.

Sources

  1. Apex Fire Department Facebook post on the Center Street structure fire

    Official sourcePublished by Town of Apex Fire Department · Checked Oct 7, 2026, 12:00 AM

  2. No one hurt after house fire in Apex

    Published by WRAL · Checked Oct 7, 2026, 7:36 AM

  3. Fire Prevention Week 2026 (dates and events)

    Official sourcePublished by Town of Apex · Checked Oct 7, 2026, 7:38 AM

  4. Fire safety guidelines

    Official sourcePublished by Town of Apex · Checked Oct 7, 2026, 7:38 AM

Related stories