36 displaced due to fire at Lawrenceville apartment complex

Three dozen people were displaced Sunday morning when a fire swept through their Lawrenceville apartment complex, authorities said.

The blaze ripped through all three floors and the attic of a building at the Anzio Apartment Homes on Sweetwater Road, Gwinnett fire spokesman Lt. Justin Wilson said.

Investigators were sent to the complex about 6:30 a.m. after a 911 caller reported smoke coming from their neighbor’s apartment on building 18. When crews arrived, they saw smoke and flames in the center of the building, Wilson said.

One of the occupants of the building told investigators he was asleep when the fire started but was startled awake by his smoke alarm. After he noticed the fire on the back side of the building, he escaped through the front door, Wilson said.

Other residents began knocking on their neighbors’ doors to evacuate the building.

Firefighters at the scene began battling the blaze, and police helped crews to ensure all of the residents had made it out of the building safely. No injuries were reported during the incident.

“Additional crews on scene checked adjoining apartments for fire extension, completed multiple searches for victims and deployed ground ladders as secondary means of egress in case of emergency,” Wilson said. The fire was brought under control in about 40 minutes, he said.

The blaze damaged two of the 14 units, but the entire building had smoke and water damage.

“While only two units were significantly affected by fire, the electricity was not able to be isolated to those individual apartments,” Wilson said. “A total of 25 adults and 11 children were displaced from 13 occupied units. The American Red Cross was contacted for temporary assistance to those in need.”

Investigators determined the fire started on the balcony of an apartment on the main floor, but the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.