Several Family Pets Die In Blaze At Dacula Home

DACULA, GA — Several family pets died late Friday morning in a house fire that started due to discarded smoking materials, Gwinnett County fire officials said.

The Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services responded around 11:15 a.m. to the blaze in the 1100 block of Evergreen Oak Way Northeast.

The fire started on the back deck of the home and spread up a back wall, fire officials said. When first responders arrived, they saw flames coming from an attic that traveled to the house's second level, fire officials said.

Electricity and gas were disconnected from the home, and crews were able to control the fire by about 11:30 a.m., fire officials said.

There were concerns about the house collapsing after the fire, so the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources responded with demolition equipment, fire officials said.

At the time, the family of five was not home; however, family members saw firefighters tending to the blaze when they returned home from running an errand, fire officials said. One of the family members left home about an hour before the fire began, fire officials said.

No one was injured in the fire; however, fire officials said several family pets died in the blaze.

The family of two adults and three children are being assisted by family members, fire officials said.