June 9th, 2021 – 10:50

Staff Reports –

In the video above, Rome-Floyd Fire Department Fire Marshal, Mary Catherine Chewning, gave a public service announcement declaring a recent fire at a convenience store (located at 1200 Martha Berry Blvd) an arson.

Chewning stated that the fire was started in the upstairs Convenience store portion, but water damage to the lower portion of the building (The Rome Taxi Business) also occurred during the structure fire suppression operation.

In the video, Chewning also stated that a reward for information leading to an arrest has been announced as well.

Previously Reported:

Rome Firefighters responded to a structure fire at a convenience store on Martha Berry Boulevard on June 3rd.

According to battalion chief Nate Helms, the call came in at around 8:38 a.m. and firefighters arrived to find a fire in the upstairs area of the store, located at 1200 Martha Berry.

They got a quick knockdown on the fire.

The initial call indicated that someone may have been trapped in the building, but Helms said firefighters conducted two extensive searches of the structure and found no one.

Martha Berry Boulevard was blocked from West 10th Street to North 5th Avenue for about an hour and a half while firefighters battled the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.