Crews still working large fire at Forest Park warehouse

Firefighters continued to battle a large fire Wednesday afternoon that broke out more than 24 hours earlier in an industrial area near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

The fire erupted at a warehouse in the 4600 block of Lake Mirror Place between I-75 and I-285, officials said. It broke out around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday and dark, heavy smoke was seen billowing into the sky throughout the day.

“Crews are still actively working the incident,” Forest Park spokesperson Javon Lloyd told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday morning.

Channel 2 Action News reported that 14 people were inside when the fire started. One person was taken to the hospital for injuries related to smoke inhalation after being initially trapped, but he is expected to be OK, Lloyd said.

The warehouse is home to La Fortuna Imports, which houses kitchen supplies and other household items, officials said. A manager of the business told Channel 2 that she was working in her office when she heard everyone yell, “Run.”

While everyone was evacuated, first responders were unable to enter because a portion of the roof caved in, Lloyd said Tuesday.

“They’re just kind of letting the fire just burn out for a minute,” Lloyd added. “Once they have it a little bit more contained, they’ll probably be able to assess the damage and get right in there a little bit more.”

About 50 firefighters from Forest Park, Morrow and Clayton County responded, officials said. What caused the fire is not clear.

Nearby traffic was redirected away from the scene, and officials are asking motorists to avoid the area.