x
Breaking News
More () »

What we know about the fire that was under the I-85 bridge

The flames are gone.

Another fire broke out under Interstate 85 in Atlanta. This is at least the fourth fire under that section of the bridge since THAT fire in 2017 that caused the interstate above to collapse and snarled traffic for months. 

Here is what we know: 

LOCATION 

The fire was under I-85 at the Buford Spring Connector near the Piedmont Rd. Exit. Southbound lanes were shut down as fire crews worked to put out the flames 

IT WAS NOT THAT BIG 

The fire this afternoon was nowhere near the size of the 2017 fire and was extinguished quickly. In fact, flames could not be seen from the interstate, only large plumes of smoke. 

CAUSE 

Atlanta Fire Department said while they don’t know what caused the fire, they did find debris burning.  

IMPACT 

Traffic was shut down for about an hour but has since cleared completely. 

OTHER FIRES 

Last Friday, officials said the small fire under the bridge appeared to be from a homeless encampment. They had trouble accessing the site and had to drag the hoses by hand. 

On Wednedsay this week, there was a brush fire near Lindbergh and I-85 after, officials say, two homeless people got into a fight and set one's belongings on fire.  

In January 2019, two years after the I-85 bridge collapse, a fire in the same area gave motorists a disturbing reminder of that infamous event. Just after midnight, crews were battling flames under the bridge. 11Alive's cameras captured the high flames. 

MORE NEWS

He was sentenced to life in prison: Tyler Perry just offered him a job

He ate a cupcake, so they used a bat to beat him to death, police say

Before You Leave, Check This Out