The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA

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  • Firefighters watch for hot spots several hours after Peacock Alley caught fire Sunday morning. (Misty Watson/The Daily Citizen)

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  • Firefighters work to put out hot spots at Peacock Alley on Sunday morning. (Misty Watson/The Daily Citizen)

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  • Firefighters work to put out hot spots at Peacock Alley on Sunday morning. (Misty Watson/The Daily Citizen)

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  • Smoke fills the air above Peacock Alley Sunday morning as firefighters battle the blaze. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen

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  • Firefighters put water onto the flames as they battle the fire at Peacock Alley Sunday morning. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen

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  • Firefighters put water onto the flames as they battle the fire at Peacock Alley Sunday morning. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen

    Fire at Peacock alley 5 mlh.jpg

  • Firefighters work to extinguish the blaze at Peacock Alley Sunday morning. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen

    Fire at Peacock alley 2 mlh.jpg

  • A firefighter climbs to the top of a ladder to get a better vantage point on the blaze Sunday morning. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen

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  • Firefighters move hoses into position to fight the fire at Peacock Alley Sunday morning. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen

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  • Firefighters use a ladder truck to put water onto the flames from behind Peacock Alley Sunday. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen

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October 10, 2011

Fire destroys Peacock Alley

Misty Watson mistywatson@daltoncitizen.com

Marie Mathis covered her face in disbelief Sunday morning when she first saw the charred, smoking shell that once contained her business.

“I don’t know what to think,” Mathis said several minutes later. “I’ve worked so hard in there. It’s devastating.”

Mathis opened Edible Arrangements in downtown Dalton 6 years ago. It was housed in Peacock Alley, an indoor shopping center on the 300 block of Hamilton Street, which went up in flames around 6:30 Sunday morning.

Peacock Alley owner John Davis said there were eight businesses in his building. All except Peacock Alley Cafe, a restaurant in the back of the building, are a complete loss, Dalton Fire Chief Bruce Satterfield said.

Accounting Data Systems, adjacent to Peacock Alley, also suffered heavy fire damage, Satterfield said. Whitecotton Leather, which is next to the accounting business, suffered smoke and water damage, but much of the inventory there was saved, he said.

Much of downtown was closed to the public Sunday, and portions of Hamilton Street are expected to remain closed today.

Satterfield said Sunday that he believes the fire began near Edible Arrangements on the southwest corner of Peacock Alley, but also said he can’t be sure until the investigation is complete. He also did not immediately know the cause of the fire on Sunday.

“I hope it wasn’t something we did,” Mathis said. “We just have fruit and knives in there, and we melt chocolate.”

The fire call came into 911 through an alarm company around 6:30 a.m., Satterfield said. When firefighters arrived on scene, Peacock Alley was filled with smoke, he said.

“Once they made entry, the fire immediately started boiling on them,” Satterfield said. “We had very low water pressure, which isn’t common in downtown. Between the intensity of the fire and the low water pressure, we were forced out of the building. It wasn’t safe to be in there so the firefighters started defensive measures” to save surrounding businesses.

Firefighters focused their efforts on preventing the fire from spreading to the state probation offices on the north side of Peacock Alley and the accounting office, Satterfield said.

Whitecotton Leather owner Paul Coffey said he thought the fire department did a good job keeping the fire from spreading to his business. Whitecotton sells leather accessories wholesale to the carpet industry and motorcycle accessories retail.

“They had a crane with water pointed between our buildings to keep the fire from spreading,” Coffey said.

He and his wife, Sue, said they had two cats in the business. They found one alive, but hadn’t found the other by noon Sunday.

Davis said when he arrived on Hamilton Street — about five minutes after the alarm company contact him about the fire — he had hopes the fire would be out soon.

“I never dreamed it was going to be where we’re at now,” Davis said. “I kept thinking they were going to get it out, but that didn’t happen. There were still flames coming out at 10.”

Davis has owned the building for “a few years,” but couldn’t recall how many.

“I hate it for my businesses in there,” he said. “They’ve lost everything.”

Davis said he had insurance on most of his building. He didn’t know yet about rebuilding.

Asked if she was going to reopen, Mathis responded “I don’t know how or when... I have some orders in there for today. I don’t know how they will get done.”

Peacock Alley was a historic building that once housed Fraker’s Hardware and an auto sales showroom, said Veronica French, director of the Downtown Dalton Development Authority.

“To have that many places burn at one time will definitely make a dent in our retail offerings,” French said. “I know the Peacock Alley Cafe was a big lunchtime spot. I hope we can get the businesses rebuilt quickly.”

The business should qualify for help from the University of Georgia’s Fanning Institute because it was a historic building, French said.

“We’re definitely here to help them rebuild or whatever they need in the meantime,” she said.

One firefighter was injured when he cut his hand, Satterfield said. He went to the hospital to be treated, but was fine otherwise, Satterfield said.

All shifts were called in on Sunday to help with the fire and to respond to other emergencies, Satterfield said.

“I’m sure crews will be here throughout the night and tomorrow,” Satterfield said. “I expect the 300 block of Hamilton Street to be closed for quite some time. I hate it for the businesses. It’s depressing for the business owners downtown.”

This is the second major fire in downtown Dalton in a year. Hurt’s Cleaners burned in November of last year.

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