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Fires can change the course of lives forever. With the Great Atlanta Fire of 1917, a fire affected the future of Atlanta’s landscape.
On May 21, 1917, three small fires started around Atlanta, and units were dispatched. A fourth fire then broke out at a Grady Hospital storage facility. After arriving, the fire truck had mechanical issues. With all other trucks already dispatched, a fire that should have easily been extinguished soon spread over 50 blocks.
Eventually, the decision was made to dynamite homes in the path of the fire to create an uncrossable path for the flames – the plan worked.
– MaryGrace Williams, 360 Media, Inc.