Firefighters battle blaze in abandoned building downtown near Macon Coliseum
A three-story building in downtown Macon near the Macon Coliseum caught fire Tuesday morning, and local fire crews now have the blaze under control.
The fire began in an abandoned building that used to be part of a textile mill complex across Coliseum Drive from the Macon Coliseum. Macon-Bibb County Fire Chief Shane Edwards said his department began getting calls shortly after 10:30 a.m. about heavy smoke coming out of the building.
Multiple fire companies responded, but Edwards said that due to concerns about the structural integrity of the abandoned building, crews were unable to go inside and began pumping water through windows.
“We’ll be there throughout the day and into the night to make sure the fire is completely out,” Edwards said. “We’ve deemed the building unsafe and we’re asking the community to stay away from the building.”
While firefighters haven’t been able to go inside, Edwards noted that no one appeared to be in the building and no firefighters were injured.
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He said the building didn’t have power connected to it, but Georgia Power did de-energize one power line because it was near where ladder trucks needed to set up. Edwards is asking for folks who might have seen something around 10:30 a.m. to call the fire department at 478-751-9180.
“We’re asking for folks to call us and let us know if they witnessed anyone leaving the building,” he said.
Edwards said fire investigators are reviewing the scene and will make contact with the building’s owner. He said it is unlikely someone started the fire to keep themselves warm overnight due to relatively warm temperatures, but it is considered a suspicious fire.
He added the department has responded to fires at the building before.
