The Fulton County Government Center building will remain closed Friday after smoke reported in an elevator shaft the day before caused firefighters to evacuate the building and shut down streets in the area.
Employees were allowed back inside the 141 Pryor Street building, which houses Fulton County’s administrative offices, to collect their belongings before it closed Thursday, Fulton officials said. That building will be shut down through the weekend, but the public safety building and Justice Center Complex will remain open, along with all other county offices, officials said. Government center employees will telework or be assigned to other locations during Friday’s closure.
Officials said smoke mitigation efforts are underway, using air scrubbers, carbon filters and other equipment.
A fire broke out near air intake units for the government center along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Fulton officials said. A large amount of smoke made its way into the intake units and spread throughout the building.
The fire came from a pile of leaves and debris, but its cause was unclear, according to Jessica Corbitt, county External Affairs director.
Several firetrucks blocked Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Pryor Street, which both border the building, just after 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Dozens of evacuees could be seen waiting by the entrance on Pryor Street, while others stood back on the sidewalk.
Atlanta fire spokeswoman Alyssa Richardson said crews found no evidence of fire inside the building. The fire outside was extinguished with a watering can.
About an hour later, firefighters began allowing some building occupants back inside, and the roads were reopened. No one was injured during the evacuation or investigation, Richardson said.
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