GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — One person was injured and two homes destroyed in an early morning fire near Lawrenceville.
According to the Gwinnett County Fire Department, the fire started just after 2 a.m. on the 200 block of Twin Brook Way. Firefighters were called out there after a neighbor called 9-1-1 to say the house behind his was burning.
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Firefighters say when they got to neighborhood they found two single story, single family homes on fire. They said the fire was so intense, it had started to melt the siding on a couple of adjacent homes.
Investigators said while battling the blaze, they came across an older man with two grandchildren outside one of the homes. The man was able to tell a Battalion Chief he woke the kids up and the three of them managed to make it to the backyard.
He told the Chief the neighbors behind his home kicked down the fence between them and pulled the family to safety. Firefighters transported the man to a nearby hospital with what they described as “injuries consistent with this type of incident”.
The kids were able to be reunited with their parents.
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Fire department investigators say they are still trying to determine a cause of the fire. They add that the incident serves as a good reminder to practice home fire safety.
Firefighters encourage all home owners to develop a home escape plan and practice fire drills regularly, even at night. Be sure to install working smoke alarms on every level of the home and in each bedroom. For additional information on home fire safety, please contact the Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services’ Community Risk Reduction Division at 678-518-4845 or email fireprograms@gwinnettcounty.com.
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