Multiple fires over the past two days kept metro Atlanta crews busy, including one at a troubled southeast Atlanta apartment complex that had been condemned to be demolished last year.
Firefighters were sent to the rundown Forest Cove apartments around 5:30 a.m. Monday, officials said. Residents had been living there for decades with mold, rats and crumbling walls. It was condemned for demolition by September 2022, but the last resident wasn’t relocated until October. A year later, the property still stands.
It’s not clear what caused Monday’s blaze, but when crews arrived they found heavy fire coming from a two-story vacant building, Atlanta fire department spokesperson Alyssa Richardson said. The fire caused a partial collapse of the building where it originated.
No injuries were reported. Investigators continue to look into what sparked the blaze.
Earlier this month, another fire broke out in one of the abandoned buildings, according to Channel 2 Action News. The news station did not report any injuries in that blaze.
On Sunday afternoon, Gwinnett County firefighters got a call about a fire at a home on Laurel Falls Drive in the Centerville area. It was just before 1:30 p.m., and the two-story house had heavy fire coming from the front porch that was working its way to the second-story window, officials said.
No one was home at the time, but crews found a dog that had died, according to the fire department.
The blaze was brought under control within 20 minutes, authorities said. It was ruled accidental, with the cause being a candle that was left lit in a downstairs room.
Also on Sunday, a fire in DeKalb County left at least 24 people without a home, according to the American Red Cross.
Beginning at around 3 a.m., DeKalb crews spent the next few hours battling the blaze at the Villas at Decatur apartment complex on Eastwyck Circle. Officials told Channel 2 the fire had spread from one unit to most of the complex.
With winter officially arriving Thursday, authorities are urging residents to practice fire safety. Colder temperatures mean increased use of space heaters and other devices or methods to stay warm. According to safety officials, when any heaters are in use, make sure they are not close to any flammable material and do not leave any open flames, such as a fireplace or a candle, unattended.
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