(Lilburn, Ga., May 26, 2017) – A reward of UP TO $10,000 is being offered by Georgia Arson Control, Inc., for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for two intentionally set fires in the breezeway of an occupied apartment building. 

Gwinnett County Fire Investigators are currently working to determine who ignited the blazes and what the motive might be.  The fires were reported at 9:19 a.m. on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at the Brentwood Down Apartments on Pleasant Hill Road in (unincorporated) Lilburn.  According to Fire Investigators, there was a strong odor of gasoline in the burned areas and a gas can was found in the stairwell by responding fire crews and police.  The gas can was recovered by Fire Investigators as evidence in the case.  Samples from the charred debris from the wall material were collected and sent to the GBI Crime Lab for further testing.  One fire was doused by the overhead sprinkler system, and the other was stomped-out by a police officer who was first to arrive on scene.  “We are fortunate that these fires could be put out quickly and that no loss of life or major damage occurred,” said Gwinnett Fire Captain Tommy Rutledge.       

The person responsible for perpetrating these dangerous and senseless acts will likely face a host of felony charges.  “The fires were set in a manner that would block the egress of occupants from the building, thus placing a number of people in extreme danger,” Rutledge added.  One woman was initially trapped on her balcony and was unable to use the stairwell to escape due to the smoke and heat.  The woman was assisted out by police and a neighbor and was uninjured.  The fire caused minor damage to the exterior siding material in two separate areas of the breezeway on the second floor and ground level, but did not spread inside the individual apartment units.

Anyone with information about the fires is asked to please contact the Gwinnett County Fire Investigations Section at 678.518.4890 or the Georgia Arson Control Hotline at 1.800.282.5804.  All tips may be made anonymously.  Arson is a serious felony crime and is punishable by one to 20-years imprisonment and associated fines.