An explosion at a Dunwoody apartment complex that injured four people has left 40-50 units damaged.
Dunwoody police and fire rescue teams responded to reports of an explosion at Arrive Apartments at 2000 Asbury Square just before 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 12. According to a Facebook post from DeKalb County Fire Rescue, the collapsed multi-family structure has now been stabilized.
A spokesperson for DeKalb County Fire Rescue said of the four people injured, one suffered significant burns, one a fracture in their leg, and two suffered minor injuries that included difficulty breathing and chest pain.
A spokesperson for Atlanta Gas Light Company said that the cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but the gas company did receive a call on Sept. 12 that someone at the Arrive Apartments smelled gas. A field service representative was on the way to the apartments when the explosion happened.
“Upon arrival, we began coordinating with first responders, turning off the natural gas connected to the impacted units and performing safety checks,” said spokesperson Mekka Sherre Parish in an email. “At this time, we have not identified any other calls to Atlanta Gas Light related to odor of gas complaints at the impacted locations. We continue to work with investigators to determine the cause of this incident.”
American Red Cross of Georgia spokesperson Sherry Nicholson said the Red Cross is offering shelter tonight for any residents in need of temporary lodging. She confirmed 40-50 units were damaged or destroyed by the blast, but did not respond to how many displaced people the Red Cross has already helped in time for publication. She said the Red Cross will continue to work with displaced residents in the days ahead.
“Working alongside emergency partners, Red Cross disaster volunteers provided support for residents of the Arrive Perimeter Apartments in Dunwoody after an explosion destroyed or damaged some 40-50 of its units and led to an evacuation of all residents, along with a shut-down of power and utilities to the entire complex of buildings on Sunday afternoon,” Nicholson said in an emailed statement. “Anyone with emergency needs resulting from the disaster can call 1-800-RedCross for help.”
According to DeKalb County Fire Rescue, four people were injured in the blast. A spokesperson did not answer questions about how serious or what those injuries are in time for publication. Arrive Apartments has not responded to questions about when residents will be able to return to their homes, but has set up a Go Fund Me, according to its Instagram page.
Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said in an emailed statement that she was “grateful” for the first responders on the scene.
“I am grateful for Dunwoody Police, DeKalb County Fire Rescue and other first responders. I was able to observe them as they worked this emergency, and I was reminded of how fortunate we are to have them serve our community,” Deutsch said in an email. “I’m also thankful for the agencies that assisted in this emergency response. They include the Sandy Springs Fire Department, Sandy Springs Police and Brookhaven Police. Even Dunwoody’s Citizens on Patrol stepped up to offer assistance. The Red Cross set up a staging area in Dunwoody to help displaced families, and their work continues. I’m asking everyone to keep the impacted families in your thoughts and prayers.”
This is an ongoing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Update: this story has been updated with comments from Arrive Apartments, the city of Dunwoody, Atlanta Gas Light Company, and DeKalb County Fire Rescue.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated four “residents” were injured. The DeKalb County Fire Rescue update did not confirm that the four injured were all Arrive Apartment residents, and this article has been updated to reflect that.