An afternoon blaze damaged a prominent Little Five Points pub and eatery Thursday afternoon, interrupting the hustle and bustle through the popular east Atlanta shopping area.
The fire started at the Little 5 Corner Tavern, which anchors a row of shops along McLendon Avenue and faces Moreland Avenue’s intersection with Euclid Avenue, and affected other businesses.
No injuries were reported.
“It was a two-alarm fire,” Atlanta Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Janet Ward said. “The cause is still under investigation.”
At least one other business was damaged, Ward said. But fire investigators continued working into the evening to determine the cause of the blaze and extent of the damage.
Ward said it will take some time for fire investigators to determine the full extent of damage and just how many of the storefronts were impacted by the fire and by efforts to extinguish the blaze.
“We’re lucky that it didn’t spread,” she said.
An Atlanta Police mini precinct nearby was closed at the time of the blaze, spokesman Carlos Campos said.
“Usually a bike officer works out of there,” Campos said. “It doesn’t appear the fire reached that side, though.”
The blaze was reported around 2 p.m., Thursday afternoon, and firefighters were able put out the brunt of the fire within 45 minutes, said Ward.
News of the fire spread quickly as social media users share info and photos on Twitter.
Moreland, a busy thoroughfare for afternoon traffic, was shut down between Euclid and McClendon as emergency vehicles and fire fighters tended to hot spots inside and around the restaurant, officials said.
And those in the area were shaken by the sight of smoke and fire trucks on scene.
“I saw a big plume of smoke and I ran down here,” said Christopher Sanders, the manager of the neighboring Porter Beer Bar, who was at a coffee shop on Euclid when he saw the fire. “My heart almost sank.”
But late Thursday afternoon, Sanders said his staff extended special hospitality to take care of the displaced Corner Tavern workers.
“The only people at the bar right now are the Corner Tavern employees,” he said. We’re taking care of them. You’ve got to come together in times like this. It affects the whole neighborhood.”
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