A historic Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store owned by NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal was engulfed in flames early Wednesday.
Atlanta firefighters responded to the call of flames after midnight. Battalion Chief Douglas Hatcher stated that they were able to save most of the buildings from the fire. While they were able to save the historic store, it still received substantial damage from the fire.
The Atlanta Fire Crew posted a video on Twitter showing the firefighters continuing to extinguish remaining hot spots.
The fire was reported to have started from the back of the store. An investigation is currently ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.
The historic Krispy Kreme store first opened in 1965. It was one of the first stores to be opened, outside of the company’s main base of operations. The beloved store donated 150 dozen donuts to Atlanta churches in April 1968 after Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral
The historic store was bought by O’Neal in 2016. “I hope no one was hurt and we will bounce back better than ever,” O’Neal said after the fire was extinguished.
