Fire at CDC Facility
(AP) An exhaust pipe from a generator at a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention utility building ignited roofing shingles Tuesday evening, but the blaze was quickly extinguished by DeKalb County firefighters, officials said. The CDC said the fire was at its Chamblee Campus Utility Building northeast of Atlanta, several miles from its main headquarters near Emory University. "This was a utility plant, so there are no hazardous materials in there. There is no environmental danger," said Capt. Eric Jackson of the DeKalb County Fire Department. Jackson said the utility building houses a generator, and the exhaust pipe ignited some shingles and a ladder that were too close. The building is still under construction, he said. The fire, which produced thick, black smoke from the tar in the shingles, was isolated to the roof and contained within 30 minutes, Jackson said. He said there is a DeKalb fire station less than a mile away at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, and firefighters were on the scene within minutes. William Gimson, the CDC's chief operating officer, said the agency was grateful for the rapid response. "They quickly extinguished the fire and limited the damage," Gimson said. The CDC will assess the damage to determine the cost, the agency said in a statement. (Updated 12/21/04 11pm)
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