Clark sends in this pic of a “not everyday sight”.  Apparently both ends of a utility line across Trinity Avenue between Twains and Fire Station #1 caught fire on Wednesday afternoon.

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.

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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

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!

MyATLtv has a statement from the Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers on the destruction of Trackside.

“I was very sad to learn about the fire at Trackside. Eddie Owen (of Eddie’s Attic) was running Trackside when he asked me and Amy to come play there, many years ago. We considered Trackside part of our home base and had many wonderful nights playing there, crammed up in the corner, with our other Atlanta musician friends, having a blast. More recently, Trackside had been a place to just stop in for a beer and a couple games of pool or darts and hang out with the locals, listening to the jukebox, or watching sports on the television. I feel like I have lost an old friend just as, I am sure, many others do as well.”

Emily sure is right.   On this site alone, in addition to 49 heartfelt comments,  the original DM Trackside/5th Earl fire post has thus far received an astonishing 7,500 hits, with an incredible 4,397 people viewing it on the very first day.  Also, over 700 people have clicked over to Facebook to view pics of the damage.  Incredible.

Hopefully, this obvious widespread concern by residents across Atlanta provides some comfort to the owners and employees of these two well-loved Decatur spots as they attempt to pick up the pieces and determine next steps.