Firefighters drew on experience battling I-85 blaze
ATLANTA - Firefighters who battled the massive fire just below the raised portion of Interstate 85 near Piedmont Road on Thursday told their stories on Monday about the blaze.
Firefighters said they had just two minutes to clear the scene before one of the spans of the overpass collapsed down upon them.
WATCH: Firefighters recall battling blaze
Battalion Chief Douglas Hatcher was the first responding fire chief to the fire and said he had to make several quick lifesaving decisions that day.
As he pulled up to the fire, the chief said his experience of 24 years told him the burning bridge may not stand for very long.
Even after a half hour of multiple companies doing all they could to put the fire out, it still was not enough.
Chief Hatcher said the scene was already so serious when he arrived he called several agencies before he even got out of his car including the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Atlanta Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol.