An overnight fire tore through a wholesale-florist warehouse in Austell early Thursday, reducing the building to rubble and sending a thick column of black smoke over the Veterans Memorial Highway corridor. Crews from the Austell Fire Department and Cobb County Fire spent hours dousing the flames as lanes were shut down and residents watched from a distance. Firefighters chased lingering hotspots while investigators readied to move in once the scene cooled.
Fire Destroys Silk World Warehouse
According to Atlanta News First, the blaze consumed Silk World Inc. at 1935 Veterans Memorial Highway in Austell, leaving the wholesale-florist warehouse destroyed. A firefighter told the outlet that heavy black smoke was visible from roughly a mile away as the fire burned. The station first reported from the scene early Thursday while crews were still working the fire.
Response and Road Closures
WSB-TV reported that the fire started at about 2 a.m., drawing units from both the Austell and Cobb County fire departments to the business. Most of the flames had been knocked down by daybreak, but firefighters stayed on scene to contain hotspots and keep the debris from flaring back up. Veterans Memorial Highway was shut down while emergency crews worked, and traffic reporters urged drivers to divert to Clay Road or Old Alabama Road instead. Not exactly the Thursday commute drivers were hoping for.
About the Business
Business listings describe Silk World Inc. as a wholesale florist dealing in silk and cloth flowers, floral supplies and event decor, a setup that helps explain why there was so much burnable material inside the building. MapQuest lists the address as 1935 Veterans Memorial Hwy SW in Austell. The scope of inventory losses had not been detailed as of Thursday morning.
Investigation Underway
As of early Thursday, officials had not released a cause of the fire or reported any injuries, according to Atlanta News First and WSB-TV. Cobb County investigators and the fire marshal typically lead origin-and-cause investigations after large commercial fires, and authorities asked the public to steer clear of the area while crews wrap up their work. We will update this story as officials release more information.
