Fire Destroys Unoccupied Home Near Lawrenceville, Some Cats Saved

LAWRENCEVILE, GA -- The Gwinnett County Fire Department fought a fire at a hard-to-reach house in unincorporated Lawrenceville Friday night. There were no injuries reported.

Fire crews were able to rescue several cats from inside the home before the fire forced crews to leave. Several other cats were still unaccounted for and may have been inside.

Firefighters responded at 6:59 p.m. to multiple reports of a house fire in the 1100 block of Chandler Road, SE. Callers to 911 were not able to provide an exact address for responding units.

Crews could see a heavy column of black smoke from a distance as they converged in the area. The first fire trucks to arrive had to drive the apparatus down a long gravel crack road to gain access to the unoccupied house. Firefighters found heavy flames on the second floor and in the attic on arrival. Additional units were able to gain access through the woods by positioning in a subdivision behind the property.

Firefighters called for the department’s 3,000-gallon tanker truck to respond due to the extended hose lay to reach a fire hydrant. Initial crews operated off of tank water until the tanker truck unit arrived and began shuttle operations on the Chandler Road side of the incident. A second house fire was dispatched in the area on Beechwood Circle, but ended up being the same incident as the initial working fire. Apparatus on the second dispatch was utilized to assist with obtaining a water supply by extending hose lines through the woods on the Beechwood Circle side of the incident.

Firefighters mounted an aggressive interior attack on the blaze, but were forced to go defensive due to the challenge of obtaining water and rapidly advancing fire conditions. Crews flowed water from 2 blitz-fire nozzles and multiple hand lines to bring the blaze under control and complete extinguishment.

A fire investigator responded to the scene to assist with origin and cause determination. The investigator spoke with a woman who was outside the residence when fire trucks arrived. The woman was reportedly at the house feeding the cats and was outside when flames erupted. The exact cause of the fire is currently undetermined and is under active investigation. The house is considered a total loss due to the damage. There were no human injuries reported.

Equipment included at the scene: 4-Engines, 3-Ladder Trucks, 1-Squad, 2-Medic Units, 1-Air & Light Unit, 2-Battalion Chiefs, and 1-Fire Investigator.