Atlanta firefighters have shut down an intersection as crews battle a house fire.
The fire started just before 6:50 a.m. on Hill Street near Woodward Ave. in southeast Atlanta.
A Channel 2 Action News viewer shared videos of the large house fire and multiple fire trucks on the scene. Other viewers who live near downtown reported seeing smoke in the air from the fire.
We’re looking into previous fires at the home, on Channel 2 Action News at 4:00 p.m.
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Arson investigators were at the home on Hill Street in southeast Atlanta after a fire damaged two houses. It’s the second time this year the same property has caught fire.
No one was injured, but the fire left significant damage. Neighbors said they have raised concerns about the property with the city for years and believe the latest fire could have been prevented.
Atlanta Fire and Rescue officials said crews were called to Hill Street around 7 a.m. and found two homes burning. It took firefighters about an hour to get the flames under control.
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“Just given the large amount of fire, it’s very easy for wood-framed structure fires to spread to an adjacent room,” said Capt. Andrew Anderson with Atlanta Fire and Rescue.
Neighbor Quintin Wojcik said he woke up to the fire Tuesday morning.
“My entire room was just golden red,” Wojcik said.
He said both homes were already burning when he got outside.
“Both houses were on fire, so I immediately ran out, checked on the neighbor,” Wojcik said.
Despite the dramatic scene, neighbors said the fire was not a surprise.
“We were not surprised to tell you the truth,” said neighbor Yonas Abraha.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Wojcik added.
“This is the second time it’s caught on fire,” Abraha said, which firefighters later confirmed.
Neighbors said the house was condemned after the first fire but has continued to attract squatters.
“Most likely somebody was staying there. They got cold and tried to start a fire. There’s always somebody staying there,” Abraha said.
Neighbors also reported other ongoing issues at the property, including people stealing electricity.
“We had an extension cord running out of this house all the way down the street,” said neighbor Connor Abdo.
Abdo said neighbors have also witnessed other criminal activity.
“Drug dealers. We saw a lot of sex trafficking going on,” he said.
Neighbors showed Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers emails they said document repeated contacts with the city dating back to 2021. They believe stronger action could have prevented Tuesday’s fire.
“I think they should have taken, you know, all these complaints a lot more serious,” Abdo said.
Firefighters are still investigating what caused the fire. Rogers has reached out to code enforcement and the solicitor’s office for records related to the property and is awaiting responses, along with information about the cause of the first fire.
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