CLARKSTON, Ga. — DeKalb County fire crews battled a massive fire at a partially abandoned condominium building in Clarkston Monday morning.
At around 7 a.m., 11Alive SkyTracker showed flames shooting through the roof with the entire building engulfed. Within 40 minutes, most of the larger flames were out and all that was left was an exterior wall.
The building, known as Brannon Hill Condominiums, are located off Old Hampton Drive. They have long been considered an eyesore and a danger to the people living in it, sometimes described as the "worst community in America."
DeKalb Fire Cpt. Jaeson Daniels said two of the eight units were renters, but squatters also were occupying the building. He said crews went in a defensive mode to get the flames under control when they arrived around 6:45 a.m.
Daniels said there is so much damage that it's hard to determine the cause. Firefighters managed to contain the fire to the one building.
DeKalb County has worked for years to demolish the blighted property. Some buildings have been torn down, but others are still occupied and some are abandoned.
Daniels said they are regularly out in the community on fire calls. He urges people without homes to visit warming centers as opposed to residing in unoccupied structures.
Late last year, Brannon Hill is where they found the car linked to a kidnapped baby. Earlier that week, police responded to a fatal shooting there.
There were no injuries reported as of yet.
