Memorial Drive reopens after gas line caught on fire along roadway

ATLANTA, Ga. — One of metro Atlanta’s busiest roads has reopened nearly 15 hours after a gas line fire.

A gas main break started a fire Tuesday afternoon along Memorial Drive in southeast Atlanta near East Lake Golf Club. The fire burned along the sidewalks for more than two hours and spread to nearby yards and one business.

The fire shut down Memorial Drive between 2nd Street and Club Place Tuesday afternoon. The road reopened just before 6:30 a.m Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Atlanta Gas Light confirmed to Channel 2’s Michael Seiden that a third-party contractor was digging when they ruptured a gas line, which then caught on fire.

Video from NewsChopper 2 captured intense flames as they jumped across the road and threatened homes and businesses in the area.

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Craig Burns owns the business that caught fire and told Seiden no one was inside his building at the time of the explosion. Burns said he spoke with several witnesses who described a frightening and chaotic situation.

"They said that literally the ground shook. They turned and they saw guys sprinting down the street and screaming," Burns said.

Burns told Seiden that he and his business partner have insurance, and they’re just thankful no one was injured in the incident.

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