ATLANTA — Atlanta fire investigators are digging through the rubble of a raging fire that burned down a large warehouse behind Atlantic Station on Bishop Str. late Thursday night.
Fire officials said no one was injured in the fire and don’t believe anyone was inside at the time of the fire.
The fire happened at a warehouse at 450 Bishop Street northwest. Crews were called to the scene around 11:45 p.m. Thursday.
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Channel 2 Action News anchor Dave Huddleston spoke with Friday morning with Raleigh Jennings who saw it all unfold.
“The flames were above the roof, it was one of the craziest things I’ve seen in a while. I just wanted to make sure my friends were safe,” Jennings said.
Witnesses say firefighters got on the scene quickly to fight the flames, but they were so intense it forced them out of the building. It was made worse when items inside the warehouse began exploding.
“In the beginning it wasn’t that bad. I guess it caught something and got bigger. And once it got bigger the fire department couldn’t go in,” said Jennings.
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However, explosions had already begun inside the building and the structural integrity of the building was compromised, keeping crews from getting inside, according to Sgt. Cortez Stafford with the Atlanta Fire Department.
The warehouse is next to a six-story apartment building, so crews made the safety of the those inside the apartments a priority.
“Flames were above the rooftop, it was one of the craziest things I’ve seen in a while,” said witness Matthew Payne.
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Firefighters told Huddleston the warehouse was a collection of businesses and inside, everything from cars, to ammunition, guns to a cabinet making business. They said at one point, the fire was a two-alarm call with over 75 crews on the scene.
Atlanta fire says they worked feverishly not only to put out the fire but to keep it from jumping to the high rise apartment complex right next door. It’s where William Sykes lives.
It was a big fire that could have spread into this building. It spread into the warehouse next door, so it was intense,” Sykes said.
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