(Buford, Ga., June 27, 2023) – Firefighters responded at 5:38 a.m. to The Mall of Georgia located at 3333 Buford Drive in Buford. A bystander called 911 and reported there was a fire at the food court.

Upon arrival, fire crews found a large three-story commercial structure with nothing showing from the roofline. Additional units were requested and dispatched to the scene. Firefighters established a recon group who found a fire on the first floor, in a storage room behind one of the restaurants in the food court area of the mall. Firefighters encountered low visibility as they attempted to locate the seat of the fire. Sprinklers were activated and the fire was being kept in check by the building’s automatic fire sprinkler system. Firefighters utilized a hose line to completely extinguish the flames. The building’s ventilation system was used to remove residual smoke from the main parts of the structure, as well as fans were brought in from fire units to ventilate the back hallway and fire room. Heavy fire damage was found but was contained to the storage room with no extension into other areas of the building. No injuries were reported. Firefighters evacuated the entire mall to include the workers and other security personnel.

Representatives from the Mall of Georgia were contacted via security personnel on the scene, who told firefighters they saw smoke in the food court and called 911. The building was turned back over to the representatives on scene and maintenance advised they would notify firefighters when the sprinkler system has been restored to the building.

Fire investigators responded to the scene for origin and cause determination. Fire investigators found the cause of the fire to be electrical originating around a light fixture and accidental in nature.

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

EQUIPMENT AT THE SCENE INCLUDED: 2-Ladder Trucks, 4- Engines, 1- Squad, 1- Med Unit, 1- Air and Light Unit, 1- District Commander, 2- Battalion Chiefs, 2- Fire Investigators

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