Reynolds Coliseum Damaged

Sparks from an exploding transformer started a fire in the basement at North Carolina State University’s Reynolds Coliseum May 23rd, leaving smoke damage throughout the former concert venue.

“We were very fortunate that the arena itself, the part of the building that’s historically significant to all of us, is not damaged at all by fire,” Raleigh Fire Department Division Chief Tommie Styons said.

About 50 people were evacuated from the Coliseum, which is undergoing renovations that include a new fire alarm system. The fire burned for more than an hour before it was brought under control. No one was injured.

The 12,400-seat Coliseum, built in 1949, was the home of the men’s basketball team before those games were moved to the larger RBC Center. The Coliseum also hosted concerts by artists including Phish, Hank Williams Jr., Beck, Van Halen, and Kenny Rogers, to name a few.

Since that time, the building has been used mostly for athletics.