By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
An unoccupied building used by a local funeral home’s owner for family gatherings was substantially damaged when a fire broke out in the earliest hours of Monday, November 30.
Atmore Fire Department reports show that firefighters were dispatched at 1:14 a.m. to 623 North Main Street, where the rear portion of the building was fully engulfed in flames.
AFD personnel were able to save the original portion, but damage was heavy throughout due to the firefighting effort on the addition.
“The back portion pretty much burned up,” Fire Chief Ron Peebles said. “The rest of it didn’t burn but had a lot of smoke and water damage.”
Peebles said Monday the blaze is still under investigation, and the cause has not yet been determined.