18 Displaced After 5-Engine Blaze At Gwinnett Apartments

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Eighteen people were displaced after five fire engines were needed to extinguish a blaze at the Oxford Apartment Homes, Lawrenceville, Saturday. There were no reported injuries.

Firefighters responded at 11:39 a.m. to an occupant report of an apartment fire at the 2400 block of Club Lakes Parkway. The caller to 911 reported flames coming from the roof.

Crews arrived on scene to find a working fire in a two-story apartment building with 12 units. Fire was heaviest in the attic on the left side of the building. An aggressive interior fire attack was made by first arriving units. Additional crews arrived on scene and completed evacuations with primary searches of the entire building. With the intense blaze breaking through the roof, firefighters were forced to transition to a defensive fire attack to get a knock down on the flames. Multiple hose lines and one ladder truck were used to bring the fire under control. Fire crews were able to contain the fire to the left side of the structure and protect six units from damage. The blaze caused extensive fire damage to the attic space above three units. Six units on the left side of the building sustained moderate water and smoke damage.

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A fire investigator was requested to respond and assist with the origin and cause determination. The fire investigator found the fire originated in the attic over the left side of the building. The cause of the fire is still undetermined and under investigation.

The American Red Cross was contacted to assist approximately 18 occupants from the six units displaced. One unit in the affected portion of the building was vacant.

Equipment on the scene included: five engines, two trucks, two squads, one air/light unit, one technical rescue unit, one hazmat unit, two medic units, one rehab unit, one medical supervisor, two battalion chiefs, one district commander and one fire investigator.

Photos courtesy Gwinnett Fire Department