A blaze at an abandoned building in DeKalb County, formerly housing a broadcast facility and church, drew an emergency response from multiple fire units. The structure, located at the intersection of Briarcliff Road NE and Clifton Road adjacent to the QuikTrip, was engulfed in flames that led to a partial roof collapse, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. The incident did not affect nearby businesses, which remain operational.
Although the building was reportedly abandoned, it has emerged that two individuals, believed to be experiencing homelessness and given permission by the church's pastor to stay there, were inside at the onset of the fire. According to a neighbor's statement obtained by Atlanta News First, the local community has become familiar with homeless residents. "You get familiar with the homeless crowd in their neighborhood. They're not all bad people. A lot have mental illness, and that’s why they’re homeless. A lot might have substance abuse issues, but you become friendly with them. It’s part of being urban," Mimi Brown said.
As for the congregation of Mount Calvary Baptist Church, which previously occupied the space, their worship location has been compromised as a result of the fire damage. The building, recognizable as the original location of the Channel 46 station, caught fire last Saturday evening with large flames reported by firefighters. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the cause of the fire, a gas can was found near the scene, and a man who stated he stayed at the church sustained burns — though he received treatment onsite and was released after questioning, as noted by Atlanta News First.
The fire's origins and any potential motives are still under investigation, with DeKalb County officials yet to provide a final damage assessment or determine whether the incident is deemed suspicious. The impact of the incident on the local unhoused population comes into focus as, as per Atlanta News First, DeKalb County's CEO has initiated frontline services for the unhoused. This includes multiple locations where individuals in need can seek shelter and support. "DeKalb County, actually, our madam CEO has set up a frontline service for some of the unhoused here in DeKalb with different locations where people can go," Daniels said.
