(Lawrenceville, Ga., July 6, 2019) – Firefighters responded to three separate structure fires as storms moved through Gwinnett County late Friday night. The storm system’s intense cloud-to-ground lightning is the suspected cause of all three incidents. No injuries were reported.

DACULA HOUSE FIRE:

Firefighters responded at 11:26pm to an occupant report of a house fire in the 2400 block of Luke Edwards Road SE in Dacula. The caller to 911 reported a fire in the basement with flames visible.

Crews arrived to find a working fire in a 12,000 square foot, two-story residence on a basement. Firefighters investigated and found smoke coming from the basement. Fire attack hose lines were quickly deployed around the side of the home to access the fire. An aggressive interior fire attack kept the fire contained to a small area of the basement and floor system above. Additional crews completed a search of the entire home and checked for fire extension. The blaze caused moderate damage to the room of origin and sent smoke throughout the rest of the floor. No injuries were reported.

Per the Incident Commander, the blaze appears accidental and was the result of a lightning strike. Adult occupants advised they heard a loud boom and were alerted by their smoke alarms. Upon investigating, the occupants found smoke in the basement and alerted everyone to evacuate.

The occupants denied assistance from the American Red Cross and were advised to keep the power secured to the home until the electrical components could be checked.  A Fire Investigator was notified via cellphone by the Incident Commander.

EQUIPMENT AT THE SCENE INCLUDED: 4-Engines, 1-Ladder Truck, 1-Squad, 1-Medic Unit, 1-Rehab Unit, 1-Air/Light Unit, 2-Battalion Chiefs and 1-PIO

LAWRENCEVILLE QUADRAPLEX FIRE:

Firefighters responded at 12:08am to an occupant report of a lightning strike and fire in a quadraplex unit in the 1800 block of Patterson Court SW in unincorporated Lawrenceville. The caller to 911 reported flames visible and everyone evacuating the residence.

Crews arrived to find a working fire in a second floor laundry room in the unit on the left-side of the building. Firefighters quickly deployed a fire attack hose line and operated in the offensive mode to extinguish the fire and check for extension. Crews worked fast and successfully contained the fire to the laundry room. The blaze caused extensive damage to the room of origin and sent smoke throughout the upstairs. No injuries were reported.

Per the Incident Commander, the blaze appears accidental and was the result of a lightning strike. Lightning hit the electrical outlet to the clothes dryer and ignited a pile of clothing that was in close proximity. A Fire Investigator was notified via cellphone by the Incident Commander.

Two female occupants were home at the time and reported hearing a loud boom and stated that the internet went out. They went to investigate and discovered a fire in the laundry room. The smoke alarms began sounding as they exited the building and called 911. The two occupants are displaced from the unit of origin and the American Red Cross was contacted to provide temporary assistance. Occupants of the three adjoining units were allowed to return to their homes once the utilities were isolated.

EQUIPMENT AT THE SCENE INCLUDED: 3-Engines, 1-Ladder Truck, 1-Hazmat Unit, 1-Medic Unit and 1-Battalion Chief

LAWRENCEVILLE HOUSE FIRE:

Firefighters responded at 12:21am to an occupant report of a house fire in the 500 block of Autumn Shore Drive NW in unincorporated Lawrenceville. The caller to 911 reported a possible kitchen fire and everyone evacuating the residence.

Crews arrived to find light smoke showing from the front door and all occupants safely outside. Upon investigation, the first floor contained a moderate amount of smoke with light smoke noted in the basement. The fire was located in the floor system between the basement and first floor. Fire attack hose lines were in place and extinguished the blaze before it could extend beyond the floor system. The floor system and basement on the left-side of the home sustained moderate fire and water damage.  Residual smoke was sent throughout the rest of the home. Crews had extensive overhaul operations as they checked for extension and ventilated the structure with positive pressure fans. No injuries were reported.

Per the Incident Commander, the blaze appears accidental and was the result of a lightning strike. A Fire Investigator was notified via cellphone by the Incident Commander.

The occupants reported hearing a loud boom before the power went out and upon investigation, found multiple breakers tripped. The breakers were reset and a short time later, smoke alarms started to sound. Smoke was noticed in the kitchen area and everyone began to evacuate the home. A total of seven people including four adults and three children are displaced and requested temporary assistance from the American Red Cross.

EQUIPMENT AT THE SCENE INCLUDED: 3-Engines, 2-Ladder Trucks, 1-Squad, 1-Medic Unit, 1-Rehab Unit, 1-Air/Light Unit, 2-Battalion Chiefs and 1-PIO

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