A massive fire severely damaged the Floyd County Historic Courthouse in downtown Rome, Georgia, on Monday, forcing the immediate evacuation of the facility and nearby intersections. All employees and construction personnel safely evacuated the premises with no casualties reported.
Fire crews successfully extinguished the primary interior flames using a tower ladder and ground lines by late afternoon. However, the building’s 1890s clock tower sustained critical damage, prompting authorities to maintain an active evacuation order for the surrounding Broad Street area due to structural collapse concerns.
The blaze was officially reported at 2:20 p.m. local time. Preliminary reports from local officials indicate that workers had been welding on the roof shortly before the fire broke out. The historic structure, originally built between 1892 and 1893, currently houses the county tax commissioner and tag office. The sudden disruption of these services heavily impacts local government operations as officials assess the extent of the ruin.
DEVASTATING UPDATE: The historic Floyd County Courthouse in Rome, GA is in ruins.. 🔥
Parts of the structure have COLLAPSED as massive fire rages on. Clock tower badly damaged, heavy smoke everywhere.
Video shows the chaos unfolding liver right now. Built 1893, under reno.. pic.twitter.com/IP3DEZGtce
— iCkEdMeL ☀🔎🔥 (@iCkEdMeL) March 23, 2026
At the time of the incident, the facility was undergoing a $4 million renovation project that had recently commenced, focusing on brick and gutter restoration. As of 3:58 p.m. EDT, emergency personnel remained on the scene to monitor hot spots and secure the perimeter. Broad Street and adjacent downtown corridors remain closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic until structural engineers can properly evaluate the stability of the clock tower.