Firefighters were working to put out hot spots after a fire at a long-running Cobb County pawn shop Monday night.
Lt. Dan Dupree of the Cobb County Fire Department said firefighters were dispatched to CobbGold and Jewelry at 842 South Cobb Drive around 7 p.m. in response to a fire alarm. Upon arrival, they saw smoke coming out of the building.
“The business had just closed, and the owner had not been gone long whenever he came back and the building was on fire,” Dupree said.
The fire, he said, was in the basement of the one-story building, and firefighters were able to knock it down, but they then discovered there were propane, oxygen and acetylene tanks that were venting after reaching high temperatures, which prompted the firefighters to evacuate.
The gas tanks fed the fire, which eventually burned the building down, Dupree said.
Firefighters, he said, will likely have to remain on the scene for most of the night.
“We’re going to be here hitting hot spots most of the evening just because of the size of the building. It’s going to take a lot to put it out,” he said.
The structure is expected to be a total loss, he added, and the owner was on the scene Monday night. Once it is safe to go in, he will be allowed to examine the wreckage to see if anything can be salvaged.
CobbGold and Jewelry’s website said the business had been in operation since 1975.
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