MACON, Ga. - A historic building in Macon caught fire late Thursday afternoon, spewing dark smoke across the city, authorities said.


All four wings of the Atlantic Cotton Mills were engulfed in flames, Josh Rogers of Historic Macon told The Telegraph of Macon.

There were no immediate reports of any injuries.

Thom Phillips said he saw a huge cloud of jet-black smoke rolling over the area.

Phillips said he could see the smoke get blacker, and he heard parts of the roof collapse twice.

"It was almost like an atomic bomb," he told The Telegraph.

The fire was reported around 4:30 p.m., and the blaze gutted the structure, WMAZ-TV reported. The property is owned by Mercer University, the television station reported.

Last year, Macon and Bibb County leaders were awarded a $1.5 million Community Block Development Grant to redevelop the Atlantic Cotton Mills.

City council members were told at the time that the grant was an important step in funding the proposed $13.5 million redevelopment project for the 121-year-old mill. However, the company involved with the redevelopment plan never closed on the property, Rogers told WMAZ-TV.

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