Firefighters battle blaze in NW Atlanta commercial building where several were asleep

A fire broke out at a southwest Atlanta commercial building Sunday morning where several people were sleeping.

Credit: Atlanta Fire Rescue

Credit: Atlanta Fire Rescue

A fire broke out at a southwest Atlanta commercial building Sunday morning where several people were sleeping.

Several people were sleeping when a fire broke out at an attached structure Sunday morning in northwest Atlanta, officials said.

Atlanta firefighters received a 911 call reporting a blaze with possible entrapment shortly before 8 a.m. at a commercial shopping building in the 2600 block of Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. Units arrived within four minutes of the call and confirmed a heavy fire on the backside of the building, the department said.

Firefighters were able to knock the fire down before it extended to additional areas of the property.

Credit: Atlanta Fire Rescue

icon to expand image

Credit: Atlanta Fire Rescue

A “good Samaritan” was able to assist those sleeping in the attached structure out of the building before crews arrived, officials said. Firefighters conducted several searches throughout the living quarters and confirmed that there were no entrapments, officials added.

Crews were able to extinguish the blaze before it extended to additional areas of the property, the department said. Neighboring structures include a seafood restaurant and smoke shop.

EMS was called to the scene for a male suffering from difficulty breathing.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A total of 21 units responded to the scene.

Credit: Atlanta Fire Rescue

icon to expand image

Credit: Atlanta Fire Rescue

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.