For the second time in six weeks, Atlanta fire crews battled a blaze that broke out at the old Kodak building on Ponce de Leon Avenue on Thursday morning.
Crews responded just before 8 a.m. and saw heavy flames coming from the back of the building, which is situated at the intersection of Ponce and Argonne avenues, according to Atlanta fire spokesperson Anaré Holmes.
“The first unit reported heavy fire on the backside of the Kodak building and immediately went into a defensive mode of operation due to the building having already burned before,” Holmes told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Firefighters controlled the blaze within 25 minutes, preventing it from spreading to the side of the building that is home to the former Atlanta Eagle gay bar.
Just over a month ago, on June 6, another fire damaged the Kodak building and the adjacent Eagle bar. Investigators did not find evidence of malicious intent in that fire.
The Midtown bar relocated about two years ago to a strip mall off Piedmont Avenue.
Thursday’s fire was contained to the Kodak building, according to the Eagle’s owner, Richard Ramey.
“I came down just to take a look,” he told reporters at the scene. “It sounds like they’re trying to burn down the corner here ... it’s sort of sad, and it’s really bad for the neighborhood.”
The Midtown building is near the iconic Krispy Kreme, which also burned twice in recent years. Mary Mac’s Tea Room, which is also nearby, closed for two months earlier this year after a roof collapse.
The Kodak building was built in the early 1900s as a private residence. Star Photo moved into the building in 1951 as Ponce was transformed into a busy commercial corridor, and the building was plastered in signage, including the Kodak sign.
Investigators were working to determine how Thursday’s fire started. “We have no further comment on this active investigation,” Holmes said.
