Staff Reports
An occupant of a home in the 50 block of Rowe Street, NE in Buford, Ga called the Gwinnett County 9-1-1 call center at 5:14 a.m. on March 20, 2019. The caller reported that they saw flames and that everyone got out of the house. A police officer was the first unit on the scene and reported back to dispatch that the home was fully involved in flames.
The first fire units arrived on the scene at 5:20 a.m. where they found heavy flames coming from the small wood-frame house on a crawl space. Firefighters quickly deployed attack hose lines and began knocking down the heavy flames. Once the heaviest of the flames were knocked down, the Incident Commander assigned crews to begin interior fire control and search operations.
Crews worked quickly to extinguish the flames and do a primary search of the residence. The fire was under control at 5:34 a.m. The search revealed that no one was still inside the home and no one sustained injuries in conjunction with this fire. The fire caused heavy damage to the home and its contents. It is unknown as to whether or not the home had working smoke alarms.
Per the Fire Investigator, the fire appears to be accidental and possibly caused by careless smoking. An occupant of the home told firefighters that she suddenly awoke to find her bed on fire and smoke filling the room.
The American Red Cross was called in to help provide temporary assistance for the family consisting of four adults and two children that were displaced by the fire.
Units responding to the scene included 3-Engines, 1-Ladder Truck, 1-Squad, 1-Air & Light Unit, 2-Battalion Chiefs and 1-Fire Investigator.
According to fire service representatives, careless smoking and improper disposable of smoking materials are a leading cause of residential fires. Protect your home and family by following simple fire safety practices.
- Make sure all smoking materials are properly extinguished and discarded.
- Never smoke in bed or when you are extremely tired.
- Install working smoke alarms on every level of the home and in each of the bedrooms.
- Develop a home fire escape plan and know two-ways out.
- Practice fire drills regularly.
For additional information on home fire safety, please contact the Gwinnett Fire Community Risk Reduction Division at 678.518.4845 or email fire programs@gwinnettcounty.com.
