According to a report from 11Alive, Atlanta (GA) Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) officials announced that a large fire that erupted underneath the bridge near the Buford connector in Atlanta, Georgia, this past weekend ignited because of a homeless encampment.
On Monday, AFRD crews surveyed the damage. A video that was shared by the department showed crews extinguishing the flames as black smoke billowed from underneath the bridge near I-285, where Cheshire Bridge becomes Lenox Road.
As crews worked to extinguish the fire, they found grills, mattresses, propane tanks, trash generators, and furniture in flames.
AFRD officials said the heat from the fire warped some of the steel structure and even caused several cracks in the surrounding concrete. No injuries were reported, and the bridge continues to remain open.
In August, less than one mile away from this incident, the bridge that crossed over Peachtree Creek caught fire, burning for 24 hours and rupturing a 40-inch gas line. Although the cause of that fire has not been determined, a homeless encampment was also found underneath that bridge, AFRD officials said.
Demolition on that bridge began in the early part of this month, and there are plans to start rebuilding it in 2022.
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