Fire investigators continue to sift through the charred rubble this morning to determine if arson sparked a 4-alarm blaze at the renowned Tyler Perry Studios in southwest Atlanta Tuesday night.
“The fire’s out, but the cause remains under investigation,” Capt. Jolyon Bundrige with the Atlanta Fire Department told the AJC just before 11 p.m. Tuesday.
As many as a dozen fire trucks lined Continental Colony Parkway around 9 p.m. as 100 firefighters battled the blaze that caused one building to collapse inside the massive complex.
No one was injured and the structure was empty at the time of the fire.
A nearby highrise was evacuated as a safety precaution.
Perry arrived on the scene after the fire was extinguished Tuesday night and spoke with Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, according to the AJC.
The multimillion-dollar 200,000-square-foot facility sits on 30 acres in southwest Atlanta near the Greenbrier mall. The studio opened to much fanfare in 2008 as invited guests mingled with superstars such as talk show host Oprah Winfrey and actor Will Smith.
Protestors and fired script writers also turned out to picket the event on opening day.
Last month, Perry hosted a fundraiser at the studio for President Barack Obama.
Photos: AJC, WSBTV, AP
