(Buford, Ga., Sep. 4, 2025) - At 6:54 a.m., firefighters responded to a report of a house fire on the 3000 block of North Bogan Road NE in Buford. The complainant, a neighbor, informed 911 call takers that the house was located near the intersection of Bogan Road and Thompson Mill. Units from Hall County Fire Rescue were also dispatched to the same incident due to its proximity to the Hall/Gwinnett County line.

 Firefighters arrived at 7:00 a.m. and reported heavy smoke and fire showing from a two-story, single-family dwelling on a basement. As crew members completed a survey of the scene, they observed a man in the woods behind the house who said that the house was vacant. Fire crews deployed multiple firehoses to combat the flames and encountered heavy fire in the attic and second floor. Search teams confirmed that there were no victims inside the structure. During operations, firefighters encountered the unidentified man in the woods again, but this time they observed him holding a shotgun. It is important to note that the man never threatened first responders on the scene, interfered with operations, or pointed the shotgun at fire personnel. Incident commanders immediately notified Gwinnett Police officers who were on the scene. Gwinnett County Police officers established a protective perimeter around the fireground operations. After crews brought the fire under control at 7:26 a.m., they addressed smoldering hot spots, ventilated the house, and conducted air quality monitoring. As incident operations were concluding, Gwinnett County Police investigated reports of a deceased male on a nearby property by a neighbor. The police officer's investigation determined that the deceased male was the same one fire crews encountered earlier. Gwinnett County Police Officers said that it appeared that the male had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and requested the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office to respond to the scene to determine the cause of death.

 There were no other injuries reported in connection with this fire. All fire crews rotated through rehab before returning to service. Fire investigators said that the cause of this fire is under investigation, and the deceased male was known to be the occupant of the house.

EQUIPMENT AT THE SCENE INCLUDED: 4-Engines, 1-Ladder Truck, 1-Squad, 3-Med Units, 2-Command Staff Vehicles, 1-Air & Light, 6-Fire Investigators, and 1-PIO.

Note: For pictures of this incident please visit our Facebook page @GwinnettFire.

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