Smoldering debris from discarded fireworks caused two house fires overnight in Gwinnett County, fire officials say.
In both cases, the debris was thought to be extinguished and was placed close to the exterior siding of the house to be discarded later.
Firefighters responded to the first home at 12:40 a.m., after a neighbor’s report of a house fire on Shirley Drive in Buford. The 911 caller said the side of the house was on fire and that everyone had evacuated.
Upon arrival, firefighters found a working fire in a single-story home. Fire damage spread into the garage and adjacent attic space.
The family reported they had been shooting fireworks and when it started raining all trash from the fireworks was thrown into a plastic trash can and placed near the house.
According to the Gwinnett County Fire Department, some of the debris was not fully extinguished allowing the fire to develop and spread up the exterior of the home.
Smoke alarms were present and activated appropriately though the family was alerted by the neighbor to exit the home before the alarms activated.
The family declined Red Cross assistance and will stay with family while repairs are made to the home.
At 12:52 a.m., firefighters responded to another homeowner’s report of a house fire on Meadow Point Drive in Snellville.
The 911 caller said the side of the house was on fire and the side of the house next door was also starting to burn.
Firefighters arrived on scene to a working fire. Crews worked to get a walk-around to look for hazards and knockdown the exterior portion of the fire to both the house of origin and the neighboring house.
The fire in the house of origin had spread into the attic and firefighters had to work quickly to prevent the fire from involving the whole attic. Primary and secondary searches were completed and confirmed that everyone was out of the house.
According to fire officials, the fire started on the exterior of the home due to debris from discarded fireworks. The residents were alerted by smoke alarms to safely exit the house.
There were no injuries reported but the family of two adults and six children will require assistance from the Red Cross. The family in the neighboring house was able to stay in their home.
Firefighters are reminding residence of the importance of soaking discharged fireworks in water before discarding them in the trash. Follow all safety recommendations from the manufacturer or leave fireworks to the professionals.
Learn more safety information at GwinnettSafety411.com.
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