MACON, Ga. — Fire crews are still on standby after a fire gutted an abandoned mill building Tuesday morning. If you were driving downtown or along I-16, you probably saw the plumes of black smoke coming from the old Bibb Mill.
Around 10:37 a.m., the Macon-Bibb Fire Department got calls about a fire at 201 Coliseum Drive. Drivers could see the dark smoke along I-16E.
"Avoid the area if possible," said Macon-Bibb fire chief Shane Edwards.
According to county tax records, the abandoned mill building was built in 1926 and is almost 100-years-old. The building is owned by Due South investments.
About 10 years ago, the city of Macon discussed plans for what to do with the building. It was supposed to be a hotel with a pedestrian bridge, but the hotel is now across the street.
Former Macon-Bibb mayoral candidate Stanley Stewart said he was driving by when he saw the building on fire. He has a personal connection to the building.
"When I saw this on fire, I thought about my great-great grandfather. The story of my family is my great-great grandfather from Greenwood, South Carolina, among other people helped build this structure," he said.
Chief Edwards says they are worried about it coming down because of the building's age.
"We are concerned about a possible structure collapse. It's been here for many years," he said.
Georgia Power and Macon Water Authority were on the scene to help the fire department.
Edwards said power lines around the building were shut off, but did not impact the Coliseum or the hospital.
He adds there have been previous fires in the building, but it's usually warming fires set by people squatting inside.
"It truly doesn't appear to me to be a warming fire. As much as it was burning upon our arrival, we're concerned about that too," Edwards said.
Around 5:30 p.m., fire crews were still putting out the flames.
Capt. Gregory Beni with the Macon-Bibb Fire Department said they can't go inside the building until the fire is fully out. There were still hot spots inside and they need to extinguish those first.
Edwards urges everyone to not go near the building because it could be unstable. He does not know how the fire started.
If you have any information about the fire, please call the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department at (478) 751-9180.