Thursday Morning Fire Displaces Family Of 8

SNELLVILLE, GA -- Firefighters responded to a resident’s report of a house fire Thursday at 8:40 a.m. at the 2300 block of Ellis Court SW in Snellville. The caller to 911 reported that flames were coming from the back bedroom. There were no reported injuries.

Crews arrived to find a home on fire with residents safely evacuated. Firefighters deployed two attack hose lines to extinguishing the blaze. Flames were out within 10 minutes of their arrival.

Per the incident commander, only two occupants were home when the fire erupted. They were alerted by smoke alarms and able to make their way out of the home before they were injured. The family of eight, comprised of three adults and five children, have been displaced and are receiving temporary assistance from the American Red Cross.

While the home is not considered to be a total loss, heavy fire damage is noted to the right side and heavy smoke damage is noted throughout the entire residence. Fire Investigators are actively seeking to determine the cause and point of origin of the fire.

Fire authorities recommend:

Residents are encouraged to keep their home and family safe by following simple fire safety rules:

• Install working smoke alarms on every level of the home and in each of the bedrooms.
• Develop a home fire escape plan and practice fire drills regularly.
• Have a collapsible fire escape ladder.
• Keep a portable fire extinguisher close at hand to douse a small fire.

For additional information on home fire safety, contact the Gwinnett Fire Community Risk Reduction Division at 678-518-4845 or email fireprograms@gwinnettcounty.com.

Equipment at the scene: 3-Fire Engines, 1-Ladder Truck, 1-Squad, 1-Medic Unit, 1-Air & Light Unit, 2-Battalion Chiefs, and 2-Fire Investigators.