Chaos erupted in the center of downtown Atlanta when residents of the Landmark Condominium complex were hastily evacuated due to a dangerous carbon monoxide leak. The high-rise on Piedmont Avenue, which had already been the site of a fire earlier in the week, became a scene of urgency as officials responded to the invisible threat late Wednesday night. According to WSB-TV, firefighters found high levels of carbon monoxide in the building. A MARTA bus was swiftly dispatched to provide residents a warm refuge as they were forced to stand helplessly by, kept from their homes.
Fire crews diligently worked to surely and safely ventilate the building to make it safe for return. The evacuation order was finally lifted and residents were allowed to return to their homes once the carbon monoxide level had significantly dropped. FOX 5 Atlanta reports that the leak possibly began in the boiler room of the complex. No injuries have been reported in connection with this potentially fatal incident, underscoring the swift action of the Atlanta Fire Department.
The drama did not just unfold overnight. Just the previous day, the same building was evacuated after the first three floors were imperiled by a fire, as stated by WSB-TV. Residents above the fourth floor were advised to shelter in place while firefighters battled the blaze. This fire, as it turned out, was the cause of the carbon monoxide issue that later imperiled the lives of the tower's inhabitants.
The evacuation was lifted and the building was declared safe in the early morning hours just after 3 a.m.
