Massive Savannah construction fire finally extinguished

It took firefighters nearly two days to fully extinguish a fire that engulfed a large building under construction just outside Savannah’s historic riverfront.

The fire was officially put out Saturday, the Savannah Fire Department said on social media. The cause of the flames that erupted Thursday at the Eastern Wharf development has not been determined, news outlets reported.

»Click here to get the new AJC Mobile App

Heavy winds made the fire difficult to fight, Savannah Fire said in a statement. The fire was contained Thursday, but crews continued battling hot spots Friday and early Saturday. The Savannah department received help from Garden City, Pooler and Chatham fire crews.

»MORE: Massive Savannah fire still not extinguished

No injuries were reported. As many as 300 people had been working on the construction project.

“One of the fortunate pieces is that (the fire) happened during lunch hour, so most of the workers were not in the building when it started," Savannah Fire Chief Derik Minard told The Associated Press.

The development was planned to create single-family homes, apartments and retail shops.

The property was expected to be turned over to Choate Construction Company, and Savannah Fire was to conduct a 24-hour fire watch.

About the Author

Tim Darnell

‘Killer Bees’ swarm close to Georgia border

Spotted in Barbour County, Alabama, just over the Chattahoochee River from Georgia, Africanized bees are known for their aggression and ability to sting people to death.

Man killed in July Fourth shooting at Cobb apartments, police say

Cobb County police were called to the scene about 6 p.m. Friday and found a man with several gunshot wounds. Police identified the man, who later died, as Cody Chavous.