Around 7 a.m. Friday morning, the historic Georgia Theatre erupted in flames. As of 11:30 a.m. clouds of smoke continue to billow from the collapsed roof as crowds of concerned Athenians look on, mourning the loss of one of our most cherished venues.

Athens-Clarke County Emergency Management Coordinator Chuck Gulley said in an interview at 10:30 a.m. this morning that the fire has been contained to the Theatre and no civilians or firefighters have been injured. "We still don't know how it started," he said, "that's an ongoing investigation." Most likely we won't have any firm answers on the cause of fire until crews can safely enter the building which may not be for another 24 hours.

Gulley said there are  concerns about the integrity of the outside walls as well. "A large crack has developed in one of the corners of the building so we are paying very close attention to that."

Gulley said that most of the flames were fueled by the contents of the building itself. There was "a lot of old wood…alcoholic beverages and so forth so there is a large fire load in that building."

Power was temporarily shut down in downtown Athens as a safety precaution as there are power vaults located near the Theatre. 

Georgia Theatre owner Wilmot Greene has spent the last five years pouring heart and soul into the Theatre, making substantial renovations both inside and out. 

"The firemen havent even been in the building," Wilmot said around 11:30 a.m. on Friday. "So we have no idea [what the extent of the damage may be]…it's probably a total loss. It sure looks that way." 

Until the extent of the damage is known, Greene is not sure what the future will hold for the Georgia Theatre, but it will be months before it opens its doors again, if it ever does. "Rebuilding would certainly be what I want to do if that's possible," said Greene.

As for the Perpetual Groove show tonight, there is talk of moving it to the outdoor stage at Terrapin Brewery although that has not yet been confirmed. The Saturday show has been moved to the Classic Center. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show begins at 9 p.m. All Georgia Theatre tickets for Saturday will be honored at the door.

Updated 6 p.m.:  All AthFest shows originally scheduled for the Georgia Theatre will take place at the Morton Theatre. All times remains remain the same. 

Updated June 23: A crane has been brought in to help clear out debris so that investigators from The Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) can continue to work inside the building to determine the cause of the fire. The crane is not in any way intended for demolition.

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Michelle Gilzenrat

VIDEO: Smoke billows out of the Georgia Theatre at 8:15 Friday morning.