Officers Rescue Man Trapped After Late-Night Explosion Levels Part of Atlanta Apartment Building

Late Tuesday night, Atlanta officers raced into a collapsing apartment building to rescue a man trapped after a powerful explosion tore through the complex at 445 Markham Street. The blast was reported around 11:03 p.m. on November 18, 2025.

When officers arrived, they found that half the building had been destroyed. The second floor was nearly flattened, small fires were still burning, and a strong smell of gas lingered in the air. As they searched for survivors, they heard someone calling for help from inside the wreckage.

Officers climbed to what remained of the second level and found an older man wedged between two stairwells with visible burn injuries. Officer Roulhac, along with MARTA Police Officer Terry Johnson, pulled him free and guided him to safety away from the unstable debris and flames. They stayed with him until Grady EMS arrived.

All residents were escorted out of the danger zone as firefighters extinguished the remaining flames and checked for additional victims. Atlanta Fire Rescue is leading the ongoing investigation into what caused the explosion.