(Lawrenceville, Ga., November 28, 2018) – Firefighters responded at 3:16 P.M. to occupant report of a house fire on the 900 block of Brighton Drive NW in unincorporated Lawrenceville.

Fire crews arrived on scene and found heavy fire involvement in the carport and kitchen areas of a two-story, single family residence. Firefighters quickly deployed fire attack hose lines to combat the blaze from the front and back of the residence. An aggressive interior fire attack continued in order to keep the fire from venting the attic. Within 17 minutes, the bulk of the fire had been extinguished.

Per the Incident Commander, the occupant was taking a nap on the couch in the back part of the house.  She awakened with the intent of checking on her four kittens that were being kept warm by an electric blanket on the back screened-in porch. When the occupant opened the door to the porch, she heard a “pop” and saw bright orange flames from the ceiling down to the floor.  The occupant immediately closed the door and evacuated the home along with her dog.  The carport, located on the right side of the house, was completely destroyed and collapsed during the blaze.  The car in the carport is a total loss.  The kitchen, located right next to the carport, was also destroyed.  There was significant heat and smoke damage noted to the rest of the structure.  While the occupant and her dog were able to escape the blaze without injury, the four kittens are currently unaccounted for.  Assistance from American Red Cross has been declined.

The exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined and is under investigation by the Fire Department.

Firefighters encourage all citizens to practice home fire safety by doing the following:

• Be sure install working smoke alarms on every level of the home and in each bedroom.
• Develop a home escape plan and practice fire drills regularly.
• Check and maintain home heating appliances such as the furnace, fireplace and space heater.

For additional information on home fire safety, please contact the Gwinnett Fire Community Risk Reduction Division at 678-518-4845 or email fireprograms@gwinnettcounty.com.      

EQUIPMENT AT THE SCENE INCLUDED: 3-Engines, 1-Ladder Trucks, 1-Squad, 1-Hazmat Unit, 1-Medic Units, 1-Air & Light Unit, 2-Battalion Chiefs, 1-District Chief, and 1-PIO