ATLANTA — Dozens of construction crews could be seen continuing to work on repairs, after flames broke out under Cheshire Bridge Road for hours overnight into Thursday morning.
Atlanta fire officials said the fire started around 9 p.m. Wednesday. Officials said a gas line ignited after an initial fire damaged the pipe, and the leak caused significant damage to the bridge. Part of the road, owned and maintained by the City of Atlanta, remains blocked.
As many as 615 residents and businesses were in the dark for hours and did not have gas, according to officials. Businesses and residents scrambled to find a fix, while traffic was detoured around the roadwork.
“We’re concerned we’re going to lose a lot of business," Atlanta Water Gardens' Jennifer Spell said. "But hopefully they work fast, get everything back on the grid, and get us back going.”
Spell said up to $80,000 worth of koi were at risk of dying because of a lack of power Thursday. Nearby Taqueria Del Sol provided a power source to keep the fish and the business's livelihood afloat.
“If you lose power, your whole aquatic system is just gone,” Spell said. “Nothing like this has happened since I’ve been here.”
Raymond Hill, an infrastructure expert and professor at Emory University's Goizueta Business School, said this appears to be a random incident and doesn't foreshadow systemic issues.
"That kind of gas infrastructure doesn't deteriorate very fast with age,” Hill said. “We don’t see this happening with any regularity. Things are going to happen in a system like this. We’re going to have power lines that go down from time to time or something in the gas pipeline. But I don’t think it’s a wise use of public money to dig up all the gas lines and make sure they’re working correctly. That would be tremendously expensive and disruptive as well."
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. A bridge inspector with Georgia Department of Transportation noted "significant" damage to the bridge, saying it could take several days to complete repairs.
GDOT released this statement about the bridge fire:
"Although the bridge on Cheshire Bridge Road is not a GDOT structure, GDOT bridge inspectors regularly assist in inspections and maintenance statewide on behalf of local jurisdictions. In this case, the structure is owned and maintained by the City of Atlanta. Upon learning of the structure fire, GDOT dispatched a bridge inspector to the site to assist COA officials as needed. At that time, the inspector noted significant damage, but was unable to access the site for a complete inspection due unsafe conditions at the bridge. We will continue to assist the City of Atlanta as needed at the site."
Atlanta Gas Light released this statement about the bridge fire:
"On August 4, Atlanta Gas Light assisted first responders with securing the scene after a fire started under a bridge near the 2100 block of Cheshire Bridge Road in Atlanta. The initial fire was not started by natural gas; however, the fire damaged a 4-inch natural gas line, causing the pipe to ignite. There were no injuries, but for the safety of those in the surrounding area, natural gas service was turned off, impacting fewer than 50 customers. While we work with local authorities to investigate this incident, our team continues to diligently make repairs safely and efficiently and aims to restore service to customers today."