Fire damages abandoned Dairy Queen in Old Fourth Ward near Hotel Clermont

A quick response by Atlanta firefighters kept a fire at an abandoned Dairy Queen in the Old Fourth Ward from spreading to a neighboring apartment building Wednesday, fire officials said.

According to Atlanta Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Christopher Martin, crews were initially headed to a reported fire at Hotel Clermont when one unit spotted smoke and flames at the vacant building about two blocks away.

Firefighters checked the hotel and found no signs of a fire before redirecting crews to the abandoned restaurant.

"Right place, right time," Martin said, adding that a neighbor also called 911 about the fire at nearly the same time.

Firefighters found heavy flames at the rear of the building, threatening a neighboring three-story apartment building. Crews quickly brought the fire under control and limited the neighboring building to minor damage, Martin said.

Firefighters searched both floors of the vacant building and found no one inside. Martin said crews found evidence that someone may have been staying in a loft area upstairs, but reports that a person was inside were not confirmed.

The abandoned Dairy Queen officially closed its doors in May 2026. 

No firefighters were injured. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.