A man who helped rescue someone after a powerful gas explosion ripped through a vacant three-story apartment building in downtown Atlanta Tuesday night said he was simply in the right place at the right time.
Clayton Still, a former service member, was driving home from the Atlanta Hawks game when he felt the explosion.
“Heard an explosion. Sounded like a bomb had gone off,” Still said.
The blast injured one man and scattered debris across the area near Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It happened at the Northside Plaza Apartment Homes on Markham Street, just across from the stadium. Fire officials said the building was vacant and under renovation at the time.
When Still arrived, he saw chaos and destruction — debris everywhere and people screaming. Then he heard faint cries for help coming from inside the building.
“We heard some kind of faint, like, ‘Hey, we need help, we need help,’” Still recalled.
Without hesitation, Still ran toward the damaged building, climbing the stairs to reach the second floor. Inside, he found a man suffering from severe burns.
“Went up the stairs, ended up climbing into the second-story apartment building and, you know, found the gentleman that had been burned, grabbed him,” he said.
Still carried the man out and handed him to waiting police officers. The victim was taken by medics to Grady Memorial Hospital.
Copper theft linked to apartment explosion
Property management officials said investigators believe the explosion may have been caused by a copper theft attempt, in which an open flame ignited accumulated gas inside one of the units.
Firefighters spent hours combing through debris and ensuring the structure was safe.
Residents reported gas odor hours before blast
While the building that exploded was vacant, nearby residents said they smelled gas in the hours leading up to the explosion and reported it to authorities.
Investigators spent much of Wednesday at the scene, collecting evidence to determine the exact cause of the gas explosion.
The area remains littered with debris as residents and workers assess the damage. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the man rescued from the building.
