It has been a week since one of the biggest fires in decades shut down West Avenue and destroyed a plant, and the scene still smolders as officials have yet determined a cause.
Cedartown Fire Chief Kyle Watters said today that state fire investigators have not yet reported a cause for what destroyed the old Jockey plant in Cedartown and left behind a mess for officials to clean up on West Avenue.
Firefighters packed up their gear and haven’t been back on the scene since Friday, March 1, Watters reported.
Despite more than 1 million gallons of water poured onto the blaze last week and at least two days of rainfall, the rubble is still smoldering a week after the building caught fire.
The February 27 fire was one of the largest in Cedartown since the Goodyear Plant burned in 1986.
Note: the above photos were taken during the lunch hour on Tuesday, March 5.
Due to the damage caused to the roadway surface and utilities on West Avenue next to the bridge over Cedar Creek, the roadway remains closed to travelers at this time. Detour options can be found here. Utility crews were still out working today despite rain on replacing and repairing lines damaged by the fire.
The old Jockey plant was being used as a flea market prior to the fire. It was the last remaining structure that was part of a larger industrial complex that during the course of its life over a century in Cedartown operated as a cotton spinning mill and was later a distribution center for Jockey.
This is the final item of fire coverage that will be free for all to read. Check back for updates on the investigation into the fire as they become available. – KtE
