About 30 displaced, 2 firefighters hurt in Buford Highway apartment complex blaze
Thick smoke overwhelmed Buford Highway on Wednesday afternoon as crews battled a large fire at an apartment complex that ended up displacing seven families.
The fire broke out at about 1:30 p.m. at the Esquire Apartments in the 3100 block of Buford Highway in DeKalb County, according to Capt. Dion Bentley, a spokesman for DeKalb County Fire Rescue.
The fire department said two firefighters suffered minor injuries, Channel 2 Action News reported. Two residents were also treated for smoke inhalation.
#Developing DeKalb Fire Rescue says two firefighters were transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Two residents were also treated for smoke inhalation at this Buford Highway apartment fire. pic.twitter.com/tiLJrVCTkt
— Richard Elliot (@RElliotWSB) October 17, 2018
Chopper footage of the blaze showed the roof of the building partially destroyed as dark smoke billowed into the air. Some flames could be seen shooting through the structure.
Firefighters had mostly put out the fire by 5 p.m. They went apartment to apartment to make sure no one was stuck inside the building, Bentley told the news station.
Apartment complex ablaze at the 3000 block of Buford Hwy in @BrookhavenGaGov. @wsbtv @RikkiKlausWSB @dyanabagby @Reporter_News @ajc pic.twitter.com/8ltHK3uifp
— We Love BuHi (@welovebuhi) October 17, 2018
American Red Cross of Georgia spokeswoman Ashley Henyan said the nonprofit is providing assistance for the approximately 30 people who were displaced.
Buford Highway was blocked between Corporate Boulevard and North Cliff Valley Way in both directions, Brookhaven police said. The northbound lanes reopened around 3:45 p.m. and the southbound lanes reopened around 6:30 p.m.
Brookhaven Alert: Dekalb Fire has given the all clear, all lanes on Buford Hwy are now open.
— Brookhaven Police (@BrookhavenGA_PD) October 17, 2018
About the Authors
J.D. is a local news reporter covering intown Atlanta and Atlanta City Hall for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
