Lightning And Rain Causes 2 Home Fires, Trees Down, Flooding

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA -- Fire and Emergency Services responded to numerous incidents Saturday with various degrees of severity due to weather conditions. The following is a synopsis of some of those incidents but does not include all calls for the time period. There were no reported injuries before, during, or after fire activities.

Home Fires:

Firefighters responded at 4:21 p.m. to an occupant’s report of a house fire on the 1500 block of Norwood Drive SW in unincorporated Lilburn. The caller to 911 reported that the back porch was fully engulfed.

Crews arrived on scene and found the home had safely evacuated. From the outside, firefighters extinguished the blaze that had consumed the enclosed porch but flames had extended up into the attic. Approximately 25 minutes later the incident was brought under control.

As crews were in the process of preserving the structure and its contents from any additional damage from fire, smoke, water, and firefighting activities, an active fire was seen taking place right next door. Per the officer in charge, resources from the initial fire were sent to begin suppression activities while a request was being made for additional units to respond.

The owners of this residence had arrived to their home earlier but remained in their driveway to watch firefighters battle the blaze in their neighbor’s house. They were completely unaware of the fire that was taking place in their own residence. Fire personnel were able to contain the flames to the rear of the residence.

The initial fire unit has extensive fire damage throughout and is no longer livable. Despite being displaced, the adult occupant has made their own temporary arrangements. The fire in the second unit caused heavy fire damage in the rear of the house with significant smoke damage throughout. The two adults of this residence have declined assistance from the American Red Cross.

Per the fire investigator, lightning made a direct hit on the roof of the second fire unit first. A surge from this lightning strike to the electric power system caused the blaze in the first fire unit.

Equipment at the combined scenes included: 5-Engines, 1-Ladder Truck, 1-Squad, 2-Medic Units, 1-Air & Light Truck, 1-Special Response Unit, 2-Battalion Chiefs, and 1-Fire Investigator.

Trees/Wires Down:

• Power lines reportedly down on the 2300 block of Whitebluff Way NE in Buford. Crews actually found a blown transformer but no smoke or fire.
• An AT&T utility pole had low hanging wires at Hewatt Road SW and Stone Mountain Highway SW in Snellville. The wires never hung below the traffic light.
• Tree down on 6800 block of Mimms Drive NW in Atlanta. No active fire or hazards found.
• Tree limbs made contact with a power line, causing the limbs to smolder at the 4300 block of Mountain Glen Trace SW in Snellville.
• A broken telephone pole was moved to the side of the road on the 2900 block of Highpoint Road SW in Snellville.

Flooding:

· A sprinkler system malfunctioned requiring a new sprinkler head after water evacuation took place on the 5900 block of Sugarloaf Parkway NW in Lawrenceville.