Firefighters with Gwinnett County responded to a house fire in the 100 block of Kennesaw Street in Buford’s “Old Town” early Wednesday morning.
The call came into 9-1-1 at 2:43 a.m. and firefighters arrived on the scene shortly at 2:48 a.m. on Tuesday, August 25. Police were the first to arrive and reported back to fire crews on the way that flames were visible coming from the left rear of the home.
Firefighters gained entry to the home through the front door but were unable to make it any further than halfway due to the floor collapsing into the basement. The stairs down to the basement were compromised and not safe enough for fire crews to use.
Four children and a woman who were watching the children made it out of the home safely. The mother of the children perished in the home. She was located in the basement. After speaking with the family, it was learned that the mother was quarantined away from her family as she was sick with COVID. The father also has COVID and is in serious condition at a local hospital on a ventilator. The father is a pastor of a church in Lawrenceville. The children are students at Buford City Schools.
The home is an older home built in 1920. Due to the age of the home, firefighters are having to spend more time putting out hot spots and other clean-up tasks. The fire department expects to be on the scene until approximately 10 a.m.
The fire investigator is on the scene to determine the cause of the fire.
No further details are available at this time.
