Flames 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.
No injuries were reported. But Atlanta Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Janet Ward said at least one other business was damaged.
Ward said it will take some time for fire investigators to determine the full extent of damage and how many storefronts were affected by the fire and by efforts to extinguish the blaze.
“We’re lucky that it didn’t spread,” she said.
The blaze was reported around 2 p.m., and Ward said firefighters were able put out most of the fire within 45 minutes.
Moreland, a busy thoroughfare most afternoons, was shut down between Euclid and McLendon as emergency vehicles and firefighters tended to hot spots, officials said.
The sight of smoke and firetrucks on the scene shook some.
“I saw a big plume of smoke and I ran down here,” said Christopher Sanders, the manager of the neighboring Porter Beer Bar, who saw the fire from a coffee shop on Euclid. “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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