A massive fire Thursday morning heavily damaged an abandoned county building burned near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The old Fulton County Public Safety Training Academy was burning as early as 5:30 a.m., near the intersection of Roosevelt Highway and Washington Road.
No injuries were reported and flights were not affected, authorities said.
From miles away, the orange glow from the blaze could be seen in the early morning dark, and a thick black plume of smoke could be seen rising into the air.
Flames jumped as high as 10 feet above the building and smoke from the blaze rose into the pathway of incoming planes landing at Hartsfield.
Fulton County Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Jack Butler said investigators believe the fire started outside the former elementary school.
“The fire this morning it would appear started from an abandoned vehicle that was torched,” Butler said. “The fire actually started from the outside and worked its way to the building.”
The L-shaped building was built originally as an elementary school, Butler said. It had been closed for four or five years, after the county stopped using it as training facility, he said.
Four fire engines and two ladders responded to the fire, and firefighters were taking a defensive tact in battling the blaze, Butler said.
The building sits near the end of Campbell Street off Roosevelt Highway, and is surrounded by several streets with residential homes and a wooded area.
“Our main concern is our safety, and keeping [the fire] from getting to the woodline,” Butler said.
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