Woman dies in early morning fire at home
By Curt Yeomans
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BUFORD, Georgia (Gwinnett Daily Post) — A woman died in a fire that broke out overnight at a home in Buford.
Gwinnett County Firefighter Lt. Donald Strother said crews were called to the home on the 100 block of Kennesaw St. at about 2:43 a.m. on Wednesday. The 9-1-1 caller told dispatchers that they believed someone may have been trapped in the basement of the home.
“When they arrived, crews found a working fire at a single-story residence on a basement with flames blowing out of the windows at the rear,” Strother said. “Gwinnett County Police Officers were already on scene and passed on information confirming that an adult female was in the basement.”
Fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire, but Strother said multiple power sources have not been ruled out. The investigators did determine the fire began in the basement.
Strother said there were six people in the home when the fire began. One woman and four children were able to escape the home.
Firefighters used three one and three-quarters-inch attack lines to fight the fire from inside the house, but Strother said crews had limited access to the left side of the house because a vehicle and a trailer were in the driveway. As a result, firefighters went into an offensive mode and tried to reach the flames, which were at the rear of the house, by going through the front door of the home. they ran into problems inside the house, however.
“Once they reached the center of the house, firefighters had to stop advancing because the floor system had collapsed into the basement,” Strother said. “The adjacent stairs had been compromised as well. To prevent significant injuries or loss of life to personnel, firefighters had to cease rescue efforts and focus exclusively on extinguishing the flames. Due to the construction of the home, heat remained trapped inside creating the potential for reignition. Firefighters gained access to the roof and used a chainsaw to cut open ventilation holes to release that heat.”
The body of the woman who died in the fire was turned over to the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Strother stressed the importance of practicing home fire safety in light of the fire.
“This incident serves as a good reminder for families to establish good fire safety habits,” he said. “Firefighters encourage everyone to install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Pull together everyone in the household and make a plan. Walk through the home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of the home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Practice this escape plan at least twice a year.”
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