News Details
HOMES AND VEHICLE DAMAGED BY AFTERNOON BLAZE
(Buford, Ga., Sept. 29, 2016) – Firefighters worked during the late afternoon on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016 to control a house fire in the 1000 block of Shelby Lane, NE in (unincorporated) Buford. A neighbor called 9-1-1 after seeing flames and smoke coming from the garage. There was a man and a baby home at the time the fire erupted and both escaped unharmed. There were no injuries reported. The two were awakened from a nap by a loud popping sound and discovered the garage ablaze.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire showing from a single-story house and flames already engulfing through the roof. Crews were immediately met by an intense wind-driven fire and radiant heat threatening two neighboring houses. Firefighters trained their attack hoses on the neighboring homes to block the fire spread and flowed water on the original house from a ladder truck to bring the flames under control. The blaze caused a total loss of the original house and damaged a vehicle parked in the driveway. The two exposure houses sustained moderate damage to the exterior siding, but no damage on the inside.
The fire appears to have started in a corner of the garage and Fire Investigators are unable to rule out cigarette-smoking materials as a potential cause. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist 4-adults and 1-infant displaced by the damage. Occupants in the adjacent homes were allowed to return for the night and were not displaced.
Firefighters encourage all citizens to practice fire safety and to install working smoke alarms. Develop a home fire escape plan and hold fire drills regularly. Look for and eliminate home hazards that could cause a fire to start.
Dropbox Video/Photo Link provided by the Gwinnett Fire-PIO:
EQUIPMENT AT THE SCENE INCLUDED: 3-Engines, 1-Ladder Truck, 1-Squad, 1-Air & Light Unit, 1-Medic Unit, 2-Battalion Chiefs, 2-Fire Investigators and 1-PIO
