No evidence of arson ruled in Georgia Theatre fire

Investigators say they have found no evidence of arson in the fire that destroyed the Georgia Theatre, but the cause remains “undetermined.” The three-alarm blaze that gutted the Athens music landmark last Friday morning appears to have begun in the northwest corner of the 120-year-old building. That’s where a dressing room and large closet are located. Just what sparked the fire is not known.

“Based on all the investigative leads at this point, we can’t call it accidental, we can’t call it foul play,” Dondi Albritton, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, told reporters in Athens Thursday. “It’s undetermined.”

The investigation will continue, he said.

Meanwhile, Clayton and North Lumpkin streets were reopened just in time for the AthFest music festival, which began Thursday night.