Parking garage damage count: at least 45 cars

The damage from the collapsed Midtown Atlanta parking garage is more extensive than initially suspected, resulting in more crumpled cars and a longer search, firefighters said Thursday.

As of 1 p.m. Thursday, firefighters had removed all 45 of the damaged vehicles and the crumbled concrete from the hole inside the Centergy garage at Fifth and Spring street. Ninety percent of the search was complete, Atlanta Fire spokesman Bobby Stewart said.

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JOHN SPINK/jspink@ajc.com

Cobb firefighter examines a vehicle just uncovered Wednesday. Officials hope that remaining vehicles will be removed at mid-day Thursday.

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“We finally made it to the ground level and are pulling out the last damaged car now,” Stewart said Thursday afternoon.

Sections of four floors of the parking deck collapsed in a “pancake effect” around 12:30 p.m. Monday, Stewart said. Since then, about 300 firefighters from throughout Georgia have worked around the clock, combing the garage.

“We can now confirm we found no victims,” Stewart said Thursday afternoon.

As of 1 p.m. Thursday, firefighters had removed about 300 vehicles, but still had about another 400 left to tow and drive out. They hope to have all of the cars removed by mid-day Friday, Stewart said.

Firefighters initially said the collapse damaged 38 cars and would take about 24 hours to clean up. On Thursday, fire officials said they now expect to wrap up the clean up on Friday.

Excessive heat, fuel leaks, crumbling concrete and flying dust have complicated the search process, causing it to extend more than 90 hours, firefighters said.

“It is a long, stressful and strenuous process,” Stewart said. “The garage is made of very thick concrete. So after each vehicle is moved, we have to re-assess the shoring to make sure it is safe.”

Firefighters said they are taking extra precautions to rotate crews to prevent exhaustion and dehydration. No firefighters’ injuries have been reported.

On Thursday afternoon, Atlanta Fire began sending some firefighters from other agencies - including as far away as Columbia and Bibb counties - home. As of 1 p.m., about 150 firefighters remained on scene, Stewart said.

“It’s still not deemed safe for firefighters and still not safe for the general public,” he said. “We know it is a holiday weekend and are trying to get all of the cars out as quick and safe as possible.”

Firefighters said they do not have a cause. However, initial reports indicated a spandrel beam, an exterior beam that marks the floor level between stories, may have popped out.