Atlanta fire officials believe the blaze was caused by a painter's cigarette in the Buckhead Finishing Studio, a warehouse behind a strip mall filled with antiques shops. Chemicals in the building may have ignited.
There were no injuries, said Atlanta Fire Department spokeswoman Jolene Butts-Freeman, but several adjoining stores in the strip mall were damaged.
Witnesses said they heard an explosion about 9 a.m. and saw flames shoot in the air.
Gradon Lisemby, who owned a booth in Cache Antiques, watched the smoke pour out the front door and feared a total loss of antiques dating to the 1800s. Like many of the dealers, Lisemby had no insurance.
``With antiques, you really can't put a price on them,'' he said. ``We all know this is a possibility. We hope and pray for the best but you never know.''
