Atlanta

Fire at vacant Atlanta apartment complex has homeowners concerned

ATLANTA — Neighbors in Southeast Atlanta are speaking out after a massive fire on a vacant property came dangerously close to nearby homes.

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A cloud of smoke could be seen for several miles Tuesday evening. Atlanta firefighters worked to put out the flames that were consuming the Forest Cove Apartment Complex on Thomasville Road. It’s still unclear how the fire started in one of the units since the complex is vacant and boarded up.

“It engulfed the neighborhood yesterday,” said neighbor Larry Buchanan. “Today is a lot better than it was yesterday.”

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This comes nearly a month after tenants were forced to relocate because of ongoing safety issues and health hazards. The City of Atlanta spent $9.1 million to find safe housing for everyone who was living there. The property is privately owned by The Millenia Company, which has plans to repay the city for the relocation costs.

Company officials sent a statement to Channel 2 Wednesday afternoon saying:

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“The damage caused by the fire will be assessed; however, the plans to rehabilitate Forest Cove remain the same.”

It’s unclear when the rehabilitation project will begin, but neighbors say it can’t come soon enough.

“It looks horrible now, and when I got here a couple of years ago, it looked horrible then,” said Buchanan.

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