News Details
ARSON TO BLAME FOR JULY HOUSE FIRE
(Stone Mountain, Ga., August 9, 2016) – Fire Investigators are working to determine who is responsible for a July house fire that sent occupants scrambling for safety during the early morning hours. According to Fire Investigators, the blaze appears to have been intentionally set on the exterior of the home in the area of the front entryway.
Firefighters responded on Thursday, July 28, 2016 at 5:35a.m., to an occupant report of a house fire at the Rockwood Way address. Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames and smoke showing from the front of a two-story wood frame house. Crews quickly deployed attack hose lines and obtained a positive water supply to support firefighting operations. Initial fire crews made immediate entry to combat the blaze and perform a primary search. Flames were already burning on the first and second floors and extending to the attic when fire trucks arrived. The blaze caused heavy damage to the front of the house.
The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the family displaced by the damage. “Whoever set fire to the home knew there were occupants inside. This was a bold and senseless act that placed multiple people in extreme danger,” said Gwinnett Fire Captain Tommy Rutledge. Fire Investigators are not releasing specifics about the case, but did state that the burned home was the intended target. Residents in the neighborhood are encouraged to stay alert to their surroundings and to report suspicious activity to the police immediately by calling 9-1-1.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact the Gwinnett Fire Investigations Section at 678.518.4890 or the Georgia Arson Control Hotline at 1.800.282.5804. Georgia Arson Control, Inc. offers a reward of UP TO $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for arson. All tips may be made anonymously. Arson is a serious felony crime and is punishable by one to 20-years imprisonment and associated fines.
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