CSD Mom writes in…

I’m surprised you didn’t post about the big fire over on S. Columbia this afternoon. I should have taken pictures. It was an enormous blaze. I couldn’t tell exactly where it was, but I think it was a formerly residential/now commercial building on S. Columbia between College and Talley. The smoke was tremendous and the blaze was frighteningly huge! It sounded like fireworks for awhile…I think there were numerous small explosions going on. I can’t find anything about it on the news websites although there was a helicopter there.

The DNO reports the fire occurred in a woodworking shop on Weeks Street.  Sounds pretty intense.

View Larger Map

And that’s not all you can touch!  From 231 Sycamore…(note the location change)

Come out and join the fun at Decatur’s annual Touch a Truck Day on Saturday, March 20, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The event has been so popular and drawn such a crowd that it has been moved to the Callaway building parking lot, 120 W. Trinity Place.

Children of all ages can see, touch, and explore their favorite truck or equipment on wheels. A City of Decatur fire truck, dump trucks, tractors, police cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and many other vehicles will be on display. For information, please contact Greg White, 404-377-0494, or greg.white@decaturga.com.

I eagerly await hearing those far-off, oddly inconsistent siren durations from my front steps!

(“Oh no!  Did the town wino steal a police car?  Oh no wait, it’s only Touch a Truck Day!”)

From the Oakhurst Message Board…

There is a house fire on Mead between Leydon and the Village. No telling how long the street will be blocked completely, but if you’re out & about you might consider alternative routes. The fire appears to be under control already, but there was lots of smoke for a while. From our vantage point, it doesn’t appear anyone was home.

- Mark Reeve

319 Mead

Click the pic to enlarge.

Gary sends in this photo filled with emergency vehicles at Commerce and Swanton Way and adds, “I’m not sure what was going on by the Maloof building a while ago…if a person was hit by a car or collapsed in the road.”

There’s a lot going on in the photo, so take a close look and let me know if I’m missing anything.

It’s kind of late in the day, but I’ll try to get details from Decatur PD.

UPDATE: Decatur PD explains what happened in the comments section.

What could have been a very alarming story instead thankfully ended with minimal damage this afternoon.

Around 3:05p, Carl tweeted “fire happening in the rear of the Holiday Inn/Decatur Conference Center” and posted a pic of a closed Marshall Street.  About 20 minutes later, Carl reported the smoke had dissipated and the street had reopened.

So, what the heck happened?

DM has learned from Fire Chief Dixon and Lyn Menne that an HVAC unit on the roof of the conference center had caught on fire, but was thankfully “contained to the unit”, resulting in no damage to the building.

Nice work Decatur Fire Department!  We certainly don’t need to lose a building the city JUST finished paying off!

Decatur Minute Photo of Chief Malone with Wife and Son

The Decatur Minute has the details on Fire Chief Jerry Malone’s retirement ceremony this past Wednesday after an incredible 35 years of service.

Cheryl writes…

Mayor Floyd, Tony Parker, Peggy Merriss and other city officials were on hand to thank Chief Malone for his many years of outstanding service to the City of Decatur. There were also many firefighters on hand to wish the Chief well and give him a send off.

In the Decatur tradition, Malone was presented with his badge, his helmet, and the valued Play Pipe Trophy. The Fire Department also presented him with a shadowbox containing his badges, patches and other memories.

The Champion Newspaper posted this video of the Trackside/5th Earl fire on YouTube…

How they got someone out there with a video camera at 5am is beyond me.  Someone must live close.

Looks about as nasty a fire as you’d expect from what now remains.

Also, to read the Champion’s full story and see the only pics I’ve seen thus far of the burned interior click over to their article on the fire.

h/t: InDecatur