About 30 displaced, 2 firefighters hurt in Buford Highway apartment complex blaze

The blazed closed Buford Highway for hours in both directions.

Thick smoke overwhelmed Buford Highway on Wednesday afternoon as crews battled a large fire at an apartment complex that ended up displacing seven families.

The fire broke out at about 1:30 p.m. at the Esquire Apartments in the 3100 block of Buford Highway in DeKalb County, according to Capt. Dion Bentley, a spokesman for DeKalb County Fire Rescue.

The fire department said two firefighters suffered minor injuries, Channel 2 Action News reported. Two residents were also treated for smoke inhalation.

Chopper footage of the blaze showed the roof of the building partially destroyed as dark smoke billowed into the air. Some flames could be seen shooting through the structure.

Firefighters had mostly put out the fire by 5 p.m. They went apartment to apartment to make sure no one was stuck inside the building, Bentley told the news station.

American Red Cross of Georgia spokeswoman Ashley Henyan said the nonprofit is providing assistance for the approximately 30 people who were displaced.

Buford Highway was blocked between Corporate Boulevard and North Cliff Valley Way in both directions, Brookhaven police said. The northbound lanes reopened around 3:45 p.m. and the southbound lanes reopened around 6:30 p.m.