Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business Newnan, GA – Potential arson fire at pilates studio controlled by sprinkler system July 27, 2015 viking210 Authorities with the Newnan Fire Department and the Newnan Police Department are investigating a suspicious fire that severely damaged a Newnan business early Tuesday. The fire started about 4:20 a.m., shortly after someone was seen banging on the door of The Pilates Loft on Field Street, located in the historic cotton mill, witnesses told detectives. According to Sgt. Brent Blankenship with the police department, witnesses said they saw a Caucasian person carrying a red container, possibly a gasoline can, and they thought they saw the person pour the can around the business. The person then fled in a white vehicle, and flames soon appeared inside the building. The fire inside The Pilates Loft did not last very long because the sprinkler system in the building kicked on quickly from the heat. By the time the Newnan Fire Department arrived, the fire was mostly contained and firefighters were able to quickly control the fire, but the business sustained heat and smoke damage. During the investigation, detectives found one of The Pilates Loft’s windows had been shattered, which is possibly where the suspect poured the can into the building, Blankenship said. Because of this, authorities are treating the fire as an arson investigation. According to Blankenship, witnesses said the person may have been a man, but detectives are not certain of that at this time. Evidence gathered by authorities is also being sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab to determine if an accelerant was used to start the fire, Blankenship said. If so, the crime will be considered arson.
