Property owner says Atlanta apartment fire may have been arson

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Authorities are investigating an apartment fire that happened on March 14, 2026. (Credit: Alexis Chandler) 

ATLANTA - Atlanta fire officials are investigating an apartment fire that engulfed units on Springdale Road Saturday morning. The property owner says several units had been vandalized before the flames started.

What we know:

Crews responded to the apartments in the 2900 block of Springdale Road and saw a two-story building with flames extending through the roof, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue.

Authorities confirmed one person had escaped the building uninjured before crews arrived.  

No injuries were reported from the incident. Firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to additional units.

What they're saying:

FOX 5 spoke with the property owner, who said multiple units had been vandalized before the fire. She said the owners planned to evict one of the tenants, and she believes that is what led to the fire.

Alexis Chandler, a resident, said she was woken up by the flames.

"Waking up and seeing it from the window, it's just orange. I don't know what's going on. It was really just scary," Chandler said. "All I could think about was whether the fire would spread or my family. It was just so much, waking up and seeing it, honestly."

Chandler said she also noticed paint over the outside of the units that had not been there previously.

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire.