CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fire investigators are trying to figure out what started a blaze that left one person dead in Clayton County.
Officials say the call came in around 9 p.m. Friday as a fire and explosion at a building on Forest Parkway at Moreland Avenue.
Fire crews responded to the scene and found the building completely involved and collapsed. It took 50 firefighters nearly five hours to bring the fire under control.
The owner of a tire shop next door rushed to the scene overnight, then again this morning when the fire sparked back up and called for help.
“This place was up in flames,” said Arthur Carter. “I didn’t want my business affected by the fire.”
Firefighters say several acetylene tanks exploded inside the business. Investigators say acetylene tanks are typically used during welding, but firefighters could not immediately say if that is what sparked the fire.
One person was found dead at the scene. Investigators believe the unidentified man was burned in the explosions.
Carter says the building was used for storage, a garbage business and refurbishing refrigerator trailers.
Khalid Manzur was working at a gas station Friday night when he says he heard several explosions across Forest Parkway.
“I saw the flames coming out, I immediately called 911,” he told Channel 2’s Jessica Jaglois.
Then Manzur took out his cell phone and recorded video of the blaze.
“The fire station is just next door so they came by but the whole building was engulfed in flames and I was just praying there was nobody in there,” he said. “I was scared. I was more scared about the buildings surrounding them, but the fire department was quick enough to extinguish all the fire."
According to fire officials, an adult male whose name has not been released was inside. According to Manzur and other people familiar with the business, the owner allowed a homeless man stay inside the building.
“I’m suspicious maybe it's that guy,” Manzur said.
No other businesses were affected by the fire.