Danielsville laundromat destroyed by fire

The State Fire Marshal’s Office had been called in to investigate.

Ila Volunteer Department Fire Chief Keith Lord said Danielsville, Comer and his department responded to the fire after they were alerted about 11:45 p.m. Sunday night.

Two fireman were injured while fighting the fire; Danielsville fire chief Marc Perry fell when he climbed between the two roofs (an original flat roof from when the original structure was a gas station/garage had been topped by an A-line roof later) and the bottom roof collapsed. He said Perry suffered a broken heel and was transported to Piedmont Athens Regional for treatment.

Ila VFD firefighter Brian Smith was injured when he fell off the top roof as he was preparing a vent hole, suffering a knee and other injuries. While Smith was not transported at the time, he is now getting treatment for his knee injury.

Chief Lord said he remained with the fire until the fire marshal’s arrival about 4:30 a.m. Lord said during the salvage operation following the fire he discovered a dryer with what appeared to be aluminum foil and towels with what appeared to be some type of cooking oil inside, but was not sure if that was the cause.

“That’s why we called in the fire marshal,” he said. “When we get to a point that something makes no sense, we call them in.”

Lord also recovered a surveillance DVR. Police chief Brenan Baird reviewed the tape with the fire marshal Tuesday morning.

Baird said the inside of the facility was totally destroyed.

Madison County Deputy Zach Brooks was dispatched to the fire that night and when he arrived on scene he saw flames showing from the south side of the building and the front doors were standing open.

Brooks spoke with two patrons, who said they came to wash some clothing and when they went inside they noticed that a dryer on the south side of the building was smoking and on fire.

The male patron said they went outside and called 9-1-1 at that point.