When the officer arrived on the fourth floor, there was a strong odor of burning plastic in the corridor. There was a plastic cooler near the stove, and a fire extinguisher on the floor in front of the oven.

Atlanta Fire Department arrived on scene and deployed a fan to clear the smoke from the room before resetting the fire alarm. After the alarm was cleared, the Resident Assistant stated an individual unknowingly placed the cooler on the stove top as it was still on. When the individual noticed the cooler was burning, he utilized the fire extinguisher to put out the fire emitting from the cooler. The individual that left the stovetop in operation is unknown.