A massive fire at an abandoned apartment complex on 12th Street in Midtown sent smoke and flames billowing into the sky over Midtown and forced a power cut on Monday night.
The building, formerly known as the 12th Street West apartments, was part of the block of property – bounded by 13th Street, Crescent Avenue, 12th Street, and Peachtree Walk – acquired by Selig Development for its big mixed-use project, Midtown Exchange.
Pasta de Pulcinella, the only business still operating in the block, was evacuated, according to social media posts.
The two-alarm fire consumed the entire structure and brought fire units from other areas to battle the blaze.
The Atlanta Fire Department also asked Georgia Power to shut off power for a period, leaving more than 5,0000 customers in Midtown without electricity for about an hour.
Fire crews were still on the scene in the early morning hours of Tuesday to watch for hot spots. There was speculation that homeless people might have been camping inside the empty building, but officials are still investigating the cause.
This is a developing story, so return for updates.
