"Does anyone else smell smoke?" Nesey Gallons had just taken the stage at Flicker Theatre around midnight on Saturday, Feb. 6 when wafts of burning wood started circulating through the club. The singer paused between songs while audience members and Flicker staff followed their noses around the room trying to find the cause of the odor.

"It's outside!" one patron shouted. Just outside the door leading to the stage half of the club, flames were spotted blazing up from underneath a small hole in the floorboards of the front deck where smokers often congregate. Flicker employee William Chamberlain reacted quickly, putting out the visible flames with a fire extinguisher. Meanwhile bar owner Clint McElroy was on the phone with 911, and the fire department arrived minutes later to investigate.

It's a good thing they did, too. Firemen took a chainsaw to the deck and pried open the floorboards to find that, despite the earlier blast from an extinguisher, there were still flames smoldering beneath. A hose was brought in and the remaining flames were finally put out. 

McElroy says a similar incident happened about six months ago, when a patron dropped their lit cigarette through the same hole in the front deck. The flames were put out quickly with water, and the hole was covered up by a metal plate. However, it seems at some point in the past few weeks that plate must have been accidentally kicked up or removed. 

Thankfully the fire was discovered and put out quickly, and Athens didn't have to deal with a repeat of the Georgia Theatre fire from last summer. Flicker Theatre is located at 263 W. Washington Street, just a couple doors down from the 40 Watt Club.

Firefighters responding to the scene:

A look at the source of the flames after the floorboards were removed:

Michelle Gilzenrat