Demonte Sherrill, a 30-year-old father of four, was among the 15 working at the site, Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald Johnson said in a news conference.
Sherrill’s mother, Onita Sherrill, told the station she watched the final moments of her son’s life on a Facebook Live with him pleading for help and praying he would find a safe space.
“I was hoping but just from the (Facebook Live), and the way the room filled up with smoke, I didn’t see it being any hope at that time,” she said.
His father, Terry Campbell, said his son’s boss told him Sherril did not make it out alive, the station reported.
Authorities have not confirmed any deaths.
More than 90 firefighters worked to rescue the construction workers, Johnson said.
With heat above 2,000 degrees, the fire moved rapidly, he said.
Mayor Vi Lyles said on Twitter firefighters rescued a crane operator who was stuck above the blaze, which started around 9 a.m.
The building under construction was a multistory apartment building, WSOC reported.