Two furniture stores in Rex, Georgia became a blazing focal point on Tuesday evening when flames engulfed both Rex Furniture Company and the adjacent Sleep Solutions of Atlanta. FOX 5 Atlanta reports that the fire summoned nearly 46 firefighters to desperately try to contain and eventually extinguish the conflagration, an effort predicted to stretch from night into the morning.
Witnesses reported a loud "boom" before the flames were seen, an account that Clayton County Fire Chief Tim Sweat corroborated when speaking to media outlets. Although the two businesses are not physically attached, their proximity led to the spread of the fire through an expansive area. Sweat detailed that both facilities, spanning about 200K square feet in total, had gas power and housed combustible materials, which could ambiguously have contributed to the unforeseen incident. Despite the alarming scenario, no injuries have currently been reported, as Sweat does not believe anyone was inside the buildings.
Meanwhile, at Atlanta News First, the fire was described as being primarily extinguished after burning for several hours. Over 40 firefighters responded to the Mattress Zoned warehouse, also known as Sleep Solutions of Atlanta, a hub that supported multiple businesses within its walls.
"With warehouse facilities there are combustible products inside. Propane tanks, you have different things that are combustible. Also, you have gas and power running through these facilities. Both facilities did have gas, and power ran to it and they were energized," Tim Sweat recounted. Joe Iona, General Manager of Mattress Zoned, reflected on the broader impact of the fire, telling Atlanta News First, "Well, you know there’s a lot of people that relied on this for employment, and there’s a lot of owners that have big investments and you know there’s a lot of retailers that depend on us for supplying them for their customers. So, you know it’s just devastating. The whole situation is not good." Currently, investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.
