Gwinnett Firefighters Answer More Than 2K Calls During Arctic Blast

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — Gwinnett County fire crews responded to more than 2,000 weather-related calls for service during the artic blast, which brought below-freezing temperatures Christmas weekend.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures had dropped to the 20s by Monday, with winds causing wind chill indices to dip below zero in parts of Georgia.

Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services released a report Wednesday that included a brief summary of 2,067 weather-related incidents the department responded to from Friday to Monday.

The report included 485 incidents of water in a building, 20 calls of a power line down, eight weather-related medical emergencies and 12 incidents of a tree on a building.

There were nine calls of a cave-in/structural collapse, which consisted of "incidents involving water leaks, causing collapses of sheetrock," the report read. There were no injuries.

Of the 52 significant structure fires in Gwinnett during the weekend, two resulted in injuries, according to the report.

A house fire Friday in the 900 block of Hannah Creek Court in Lawrenceville resulted in one minor injury. The person was released at the scene, and the fire was due to cooking equipment in the garage, according to the report.

The cause of the accidental house fire, which occurred Saturday in the 5700 block of Leaf Ridge Lane in Buford, was unable to be determined.

A house fire Sunday, Christmas Day, in the 3000 block of Grove View Court in Dacula resulted in two minor injuries. The people were released at the scene, according to the report. The fire was accidental, and the cause was an electrical source.

The cause of an accidental house fire Sunday in the 1000 block of Pennsylvania Run in Lawrenceville was electrical.

One person was rescued Sunday during an apartment fire at Cortland Portico Apartments in Duluth, according to the report. There were no injuries, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

There were no injuries in an accidental house fire Sunday in the 2700 block of Carleton Gold Road in Dacula, according to the report. The cause is unknown but the source of the fire was a bedroom.

A house fire Sunday in the 1900 block of Pierce Way in Buford resulted in no injuries, according to the report. The origin of the fire was the exterior, and the cause is unknown.

The Gwinnett County fire department also responded to the following, according to the report:

• 170 apartment fire alarm activations
• 238 commercial alarm activations
• 60 residential alarm activations
• 19 carbon monoxide alarm activations
• 155 general public assist calls

The report is not indicative of the total number of calls for service for the fire department.