PHOTOS: Fighting fires and beyond

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Firefighters -- the main point of their job is in the title, but firefighters do so much more than that, such as evacuations during the crane mishap, the recent gas leak, saving someone from a fallen tree. (Photo by John Spink)

January 17, 2020 Atlanta: Atlanta firefighters arrived three minutes after being dispatched to a house fire the 300 block of Andrew J. Hairston Blvd. NW on Friday morning, Jan. 17, 2020 where they found heavy fire throughout the structure. Battalion Chief Shawn Manns said crews took a "defensive position" until getting a knockdown on the fire, and then teams were sent in for primary and secondary searches which were negative. Manns said the bulk of the fire was in the attic. There were not any initial reports of persons being in the unoccupied residence, but Manns said they are mindful of that with every dispatch. The cause of the fire is under investigation With the weather turning colder, and even colder beginning Sunday night, Chief Mann recommended to the public to "Please be careful with candles, space heaters and fireplaces. Make sure you use fireplace screens so embers don't escape. Put out candles before going to bed. And remember our 'Close Door Campaign.' Before you go to sleep, close your bedroom door." JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

March 4, 2021 Atlanta: Atlanta fire captain Michael Williams moves resident Carrie Louise Sims - 77 out of the way from equipment as firefighters evacuated the fifth floor of a senior living community Thursday morning, March 4, 2021 after a fire broke out inside an apartment, officials said. The fire occurred at the Lakewood Christian Manor off Springdale Road in southwest Atlanta, battalion Chief Tony Terrell said at the scene. “The sprinkler system kept it in check,” and firefighters were able to get inside and extinguish the blaze, Terrell said, but crews were forced to evacuate residents on that floor because of water damage. Fire officials said it appears the small blaze began inside a closet. “We had a basket of clothes and laundry burning inside the closet,” Terrell said, adding that the fifth floor of the high-rise sustained water damage from the apartment’s sprinkler system. No injuries were reported, but seven residents have been displaced. Your donation helps The Atlanta Journal-Constitution provide essential public health journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic. We press on together. Donate today. While fires at senior living complexes aren’t common, Terrell said the biggest challenge is evacuating residents who are unable to get out on their own. The building is nine stories tall and houses hundreds of residents, most of whom are older or disabled. “The rest of the residents were allowed to shelter in place because we only had smoke in the hallway where we had the fire,” he said. Volunteers from the American Red Cross are on their way to the scene to assist the residents who were displaced. In addition, a company was called in to remove the water and repair damaged units. “They’re going to have to wait until all the water is cleaned up before they can return to their apartments,” Terrell said. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)

March 2, 2021 Gwinnett County: A Gwinnett County day care and two gas stations were evacuated Tuesday morning, March 2, 2021 after a gasoline tanker crashed in an intersection, spilling fuel onto the road. A hazmat team is working to contain the fuel leak, which happened on Braselton Highway at Hamilton Mill Road near I-85 about 5:30 a.m., according to Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services spokesman Capt. Tommy Rutledge. The Discovery Point Daycare and the nearby QuikTrip and BP stations were evacuated while crews tend to the situation. The tanker overturned in the intersection and leaked fuel onto the road, Rutledge said. The vehicle was carrying about 8,500 gallons of fuel and about 3,000 of it spilled, he said. “There were two points of impact, what we will call ‘leak points’ on the tractor-trailer,” Rutledge said. “There was one at the actual top of the dome itself, and then there’s a second point of impact at the rear of the carriage unit.” Some of the fuel went into a nearby storm drain, but authorities have not determined how much. “Firefighters have a 500-foot hot zone perimeter established and are working to identify the amount of product that has entered the nearby storm drain,” Rutledge said. Equipment was put down to absorb the fuel to prevent more of it from spilling into the storm drain, officials said. However, some of it spilled into a nearby pond. “Visible fuel is on top of the pond, with the fuel being lighter than water itself,” Rutledge said. The area’s sewage system is not impacted, he said. The driver was evaluated by paramedics at the scene of the crash and is expected to be OK. No other injuries have been reported, and no other vehicles were involved. Crews are working to determine how to siphon off the remaining 5,000 gallons of gasoline in the fuel truck. Hamilton Mill Road at Braselton Highway is shut down in all directions due to the incident, and police are diverting traffic in the area. (John Spink / John.S

March 5, 2021 Brookhaven: A Brookhaven apartment building was already empty Friday morning, March 5, 2021 when a massive fire broke out, sending smoke and flames shooting through the roof. Hours earlier, authorities evacuated the same building at the MAA Brookhaven complex off Caldwell Road when a smaller fire started on the ground floor just before midnight. The fire Friday morning was more destructive but did not result in any injuries, according to DeKalb County fire spokesman Capt. Dion Bentley. Investigators are looking into the possibility the two fires are related. “It could be a lot of reasons or causes, but it’s too early for us to give any details as to why we responded back,” Dion said. The second fire was reported just before 7 a.m. Kalyn Kolaski said she woke up for work and heard a distraught woman talking on the phone outside her door. She later realized she was calling 911. Kolaski’s apartment is 20 feet from the building that burned, she said. She was not evacuated Thursday night, but she said Friday’s blaze threatened her home. “I started hearing all these fire trucks,” she said. “That’s when I went and ran outside and that’s when I saw — it was huge. I just kept standing outside and it just kept spreading, and the roof collapses.” Bentley said the fire had broken through the roof when the first fire crews arrived. The building, which contained 24 units, was significantly damaged, he said. He was not sure if any pets were left behind. “Thankfully they got it under control, because I can’t imagine losing everything,” Kolaski said. “So many people just lost everything they owned.” The displaced residents were expected to receive help from the American Red Cross. It was unknown how many lost their homes Friday. (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)

March 9, 2021 Atlanta: There were traffic backups on the southside of Atlanta at Lakewood Avenue and McDonough Blvd. which were closed most of the morning and afternoon Tuesday, March 9, 2021 as Atlanta firefighters battled a large salvage yard fire. Battalion Chief Greg Gray said arriving crews found a large fire coming from the rubble of the all metal recycling center on arrival just before 10:30 am. “Our biggest concern was exposure issues and the 10-15 mph wind,” he said. Fire crews set up a defensive operation concentrating master streams into the rubble to contain the fire. The Norfolk Southern Railroad was shut down for a short while until it was determined safe to resume operations. No one was hurt and the cause of the fire is under investigation. (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)

December 15, 2020 Atlanta: A vacant apartment building went up in flames Tuesday morning, Dec. 15, 2020 in northwest Atlanta. Fire was raging at the two-story structure at the corner of Hollywood Road and Brooks Avenue when Atlanta fire crews arrived, according to Battalion Chief Shawn Manns. The building was believed to be unoccupied, and Manns said crews had to focus their efforts on containing the flames. “We just placed lines around the building and a ladder pipe and set up for a defensive operation,” Manns told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from the scene. “We had fire throughout, so at this time we’re just trying to get a good knockdown on it, and we should be able to get a primary (search) a little bit later in the day.” Firefighters likely won’t make their way into the building until the fire is out and they have the benefit of daylight, he said. Manns said cold weather like on Tuesday morning can sometimes hamper firefighting efforts. Temperatures dipped down into the 30s before the sun came up. “The main thing is just trying to stay dry and warm,” he said. “It’s cold, but I’ve seen a lot colder. This is not too, too bad.” The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Manns said there have not been any other fires at abandoned structures in the area that would suggest a pattern. (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)

Neighborhood resident, Jasmine Rozier, left, delivers Dunkin donuts to firefighters after a fast-moving fire broke out about 1 a.m at the landmark Krispy Kreme on Ponce de Leon Avenue early Wednesday morning, Feb. 10, 2021. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

January 15, 2021 DeKalb County: Steam rises from the head of DeKalb County firefighter, Shawrice Bassett after she exited the burning structure after DeKalb County firefighters were called to a vacant building fire just after 7:30 a.m. on Friday morning, Jan. 15, 2021 located next door to the Century Lake office Park on Century Boulevard in Chamblee. DeKalb County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief, Kenneth McKinney said fire crew went defensive until all the exits could be cleared because of a VPS (vacant property security) system installed by the landlord. "Clairmont Road was closed to get the water supply across the street," McKinney said. Deborah Legan who works for MTNT that operates the Century Lake Office Park said, "For a year to year and a half we've had homeless people camping out there. They set up residence and ran long electrical lines to our office park for their heaters and grills. A week ago the landlord there set up barricades. Two or three days later they returned and began having food delivered. I guess they must've caught something on fire. No one was hurt. The fire is under investigation." (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)

February 25, 2021 Atlanta: MARTA service was delayed for about an hour Thursday morning as Atlanta firefighters removed a man from underneath a train, officials said. The delays began shortly after 10 a.m. when the man was discovered on the eastbound track at the Georgia World Congress Center/CNN Center station, the agency said in a tweet. It’s unclear why the man was on the track or how long he had been there. Atlanta firefighters were called to the station and pulled him out from underneath the train about 10:30 a.m., spokesman Sgt. Cortez Stafford said. It didn’t appear he was struck by the train, but authorities said he may have been intoxicated when he found his way onto the tracks. The man was treated on the platform before being placed on a stretcher and loaded into a waiting ambulance outside. Train service resumed just before 11 a.m. (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)

March 2, 2021 Gwinnett County: A woman died Tuesday morning, March 2, 2021 after a fire broke out at her Gwinnett County home and trapped her inside. The woman’s caretaker and a man who lived at the home both survived the blaze at the home on Whitney Park Drive in Duluth, officials said. Firefighters were sent to the house just before 1 a.m., according to Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services spokesman Capt. Tommy Rutledge. While en route, crews learned that a woman was still inside the structure and couldn’t get out. Smoke and heavy flames were swirling out of the home when they arrived, Rutledge said. “The two-story home (was) engulfed in flames on the back side,” Rutledge said. “There was heavy fire showing from the back.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but officials said it started on the home’s covered back porch and spread to the roof. The man and the caretaker were both outside of the house, but the woman was trapped inside a bedroom in the back of the home.
Firefighters entered the house and climbed up a stairwell, Rutledge said. They were immediately met with intense flames, scorching heat and dense smoke. “They were able to use a hose line to push back the flames enough to get into that back bedroom to do a primary search,” Rutledge said. After battling the flames, firefighters found the woman and pulled her from the bedroom, he said. She was taken to a hospital but died of her injuries. Her name was not released. The caretaker was evaluated by paramedics at the scene. No other injuries were reported. (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)

February 26, 2021 Atlanta: Two adults and their pets were fortunate to escape a fire from their Southeast Atlanta home on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021 after a neighbor broke a window to wake them up. Atlanta firefighters were dispatched to the 600 block of Blake Avenue at 6 am and arrived to find heavy fire on the front side of the home. Atlanta Fire Rescue spokesman Sgt. Cortez Stafford said firefighters were concerned initially finding two cars parked in the driveway of the home thinking occupants may still be inside but were informed by neighbors they had gotten out. Firefighters then spoke with the owners of the home who said they were both asleep at the time of the fire. “It’s great that you have neighbors who were up and who saw the fire and took the time out to check on their neighbors and were able to actually throw a rock through one of the windows to get them outside where they saw the fire,” Stafford said. Firefighters heard no smoke detector alarms going off when entering the home according to Stafford. No one was hurt and the home suffered extensive damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation. (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)

January 26, 2021 Cobb County: Marietta Firefighters helped some residents out of their burned apartments with their belongings. Authorities in Cobb County are working to help 50 people who were displaced by a massive fire at a Marietta apartment complex on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021.. Firefighters were called to a burning building at the Park on Windy Hill Apartments shortly before 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to Marietta Fire Department Chief Tim Milligan. When the first crews arrived at the complex on Windy Hill Road, they saw fire rising from the building’s roof. A total of 13 crews from both the Marietta and Cobb fire departments worked to bring the blaze under control, Cobb fire spokesman Stephen Bennett said. Crews managed to tamp out the flames, but 24 units were impacted by the fire, Bennett said. No injuries were reported. Investigators are still working to determine how the fire started, Milligan said. Volunteers from the American Red Cross are working to aid the affected families, according to spokeswoman Ruby Ramirez. “Along with emotional support, volunteers are prepared to help with immediate emergency needs for essentials, such as temporary lodging, food, clothing, personal items, and health-related needs,” she said. “Caseworkers will work with the families impacted in the days ahead to help them get back on their feet and begin the recovery process.” (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)

An Atlanta firefighter battles a blaze on Blake Avenue.

February 19, 2021 Atlanta: A crane teetering outside a 31-story office tower in Midtown is in danger of falling and could take up to two days to secure, fire officials said on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. Several nearby businesses and apartment buildings were evacuated Friday morning as Atlanta fire crews worked to stabilize the leaning crane outside the high-rise building. No injuries were reported in the construction mishap, which occurred shortly after 9 a.m. at West Peachtree and 13th streets, Atlanta fire spokesman Sgt. Cortez Stafford said. Several streets in the area have been blocked off, but more roads could be closed if authorities decide to expand the evacuation zone surrounding the crane, officials said. “Upon speaking with the construction workers and construction managers at the site, we were informed that in the process of taking down the tower crane, there was a mechanical failure with one of the hydraulic cylinders,” Stafford said. “That (caused) the top of the crane to start to lean.” Stafford said the crane is still in danger of falling and damaging surrounding buildings. “Therefore, we’re taking all the precautions and evacuating a number of buildings surrounding the crane, the construction site and in the adjacent area,” Stafford said, adding that the crane operator was able to get out safely. So far, fire crews have evacuated three apartment buildings and two parking decks. They also encouraged several surrounding restaurants not to open for lunch until the situation is under control. Additional cranes and an engineer have been called in to help dismantle the machinery outside the office building, but that could take up to 48 hours, officials said. Construction on the office tower at 1105 West Peachtree is nearly complete, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last month. The 410-foot building is set to include 675,000 square feet of office space with two confirmed major tenants, Google and the law firm Smith, Gambrell & Russell. De

February 18, 2021 Chamblee: A family was forced to flee their Chamblee home after it went up in flames Thursday morning, Feb.18, 2021 officials said. Two adults were taken to a hospital with injuries, and a baby DeKalb County fire crews initially feared was trapped inside the Shallowford Road home made it out safely. Not all of the family’s six pets have been accounted for, according to DeKalb fire spokesman Capt. Dion Bentley. Crews are still at the scene working to make the structure safe enough to search. Shallowford Road was shut down near Chamblee Tucker Road while firefighting efforts were underway. The road was reopened about 10:30 a.m. Fire crews and officers from the Chamblee police department were sent to the home about 7 a.m., Bentley told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from the scene. “Once they arrived on scene, Chamblee PD was already on scene and informed us that we did have a victim outside with burns,” he said. Authorities called for medical personnel to treat the burned woman and took her to a hospital, Bentley said. A man was also taken to the hospital, but the extent of his injuries is not clear. Authorities worked to determine if anyone else was in the house. They were able to confirm initial reports of a baby trapped by the blaze were incorrect. “The child was outside the building, thank God,” Bentley said. “As a firefighter, when you hear ‘a child inside,’ all of our hearts sink.” Crews then turned their attention to the blaze. About half of the house was in flames, and crews worried that the home next to it would also catch on fire. “We focused on hand lines to protect the home that was not on fire,” Bentley said. “Then we started to commence our attack on the fire.” At least one of the family’s pets escaped the burning house before fire crews arrived, he said. Crews have not been able to enter the home to conduct a thorough search due to the dangerous conditions. “Visibility was real poor because of the weathe

A fast-moving fire broke out about 1 a.m at the landmark Krispy Kreme on Ponce de Leon Avenue early Wednesday morning, Feb. 10, 2021. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

February 17, 2020 Atlanta: With reports of entrapment, Atlanta firefighters arrived just before 6 a.m. to a home in the 300 block of Sunset Avenue NW where they found a large volume of heavy fire coming from the roof and the rear of the home Monday morning, Feb. 17, 2020 Atlanta fire spokesman Sgt. Cortez Stafford said. Firefighters following up on a report of someone missing found the homeowner in the rear of the home with minor smoke inhalation. He refused treatment at the scene. There were 5 family members who escaped the burning homer before firefighters arrived. At one point during firefighting operations, the family dog reentered the burning structure where firefighters had to coax the dog back out and into a safe area. Family member, 11-year old Isabella Foster said, "My family grew up in this house. It's been in my family for generations, since my great grandmother. It's very devastating for this to happen to this house. I'm sickened." Stafford said the house, "appears to be a total loss." The fire is under investigation. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

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Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

January 17, 2020 Atlanta: Atlanta firefighters arrived three minutes after being dispatched to a house fire the 300 block of Andrew J. Hairston Blvd. NW on Friday morning, Jan. 17, 2020 where they found heavy fire throughout the structure. Battalion Chief Shawn Manns said crews took a "defensive position" until getting a knockdown on the fire, and then teams were sent in for primary and secondary searches which were negative. Manns said the bulk of the fire was in the attic. There were not any initial reports of persons being in the unoccupied residence, but Manns said they are mindful of that with every dispatch. The cause of the fire is under investigation With the weather turning colder, and even colder beginning Sunday night, Chief Mann recommended to the public to "Please be careful with candles, space heaters and fireplaces. Make sure you use fireplace screens so embers don't escape. Put out candles before going to bed. And remember our 'Close Door Campaign.' Before you go to sleep, close your bedroom door." JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

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