News Details
FIRE DAMAGES HOME IN DACULA
(Dacula, Ga., September 21, 2018) – Firefighters responded at 5:44 p.m., to a report of a house fire in the 2500 block of Kelman Place, NE in Dacula. There were multiple calls to 9-1-1 reporting the fire. One caller stated that flames were visible and everyone was getting out.
Crews arrived to find heavy smoke showing from the front of a two-story, wood-frame house over a basement. First-arriving units were not immediately met by occupants outside the home and made entry to conduct a primary search and locate the fire. Interior crews encountered thick smoke and heat conditions on the second floor and an active fire in the master closet and bathroom. Firefighters were able to contain the bulk of the fire to the closet and bathroom above the garage on the front-left corner of the house. The blaze caused heavy damage to the master bedroom suite and sent extensive smoke throughout the rest of the second floor. There was residual water damage to part of the first floor and basement area. Firefighters made a good stop on the spread of the fire, but not before flames broke through part of the roof over the garage. Crews had to pull sheetrock throughout the upstairs portion of the home to check for extension and complete fire extinguishment. Several occupants were home at the time the fire erupted and escaped unharmed. There were no injuries reported. The American Red Cross was requested to provide temporary assistance for the family, 3-adults and 1-teenager, displaced by the damage.
Per Fire Investigators, the blaze appears accidental and was sparked by a compromised electrical line to an exterior floodlight at the corner of the garage. The flames burned inside the wall and floor between the garage and the closet directly above.
Fire officials suggest having a working smoke alarm on every level of the home and in each of the bedrooms. Be sure to test the alarm monthly and change the battery twice a year. Develop a home fire escape plan and practice fire drills regularly. Keep a portable (ABC) multi-purpose fire extinguisher close at hand in the kitchen to douse a small fire. Look for and eliminate home hazards that could cause a fire to start or spread quickly. Keep your home and family safe by practicing fire safety every day.
For more information on residential fire safety, please contact the Gwinnett Fire Community Risk Reduction/Education Section at 678.518.4845 or e-mail fireprograms@gwinnettcounty.com.
EQUIPMENT AT THE SCENE INCLUDED: 4-Engines, 1-Ladder Truck, 1-Squad, 1-Medic Unit, 1-Air & Light Unit, 1-Rehab Unit, 2-Battalion Chiefs, 1-Deputy Chief, 2-Fire Investigators and 1-PIO