18 displaced in Gwinnett apartment fire started by cooking mishap
A woman cooking in her Gwinnett County apartment Thursday night accidentally started a fire that resulted in damage to 10 units and displaced 18 people from their homes, officials said.
No one was seriously injured in the fire, which briefly trapped two families on their balconies at the Montrose Berkely Lake Apartments in Duluth, Gwinnett fire spokesman Lt. Justin Wilson said in a press release. Five apartment residents and a Duluth police officer were treated for minor injuries at the scene and released, Wilson said.
Firefighters responded to the complex just after 12:30 a.m. Friday after getting multiple calls, Wilson said. They arrived to find heavy fire at one end of a three-level, 20-unit apartment building. Firefighters walking around the building to assess the situation spotted three people trapped on a rear balcony on the third level.
The two adults and a child were quickly rescued with an extension ladder, Wilson said.
Investigators believe the fire spread after a woman cooking on her kitchen stove and could not get it under control. She eventually evacuated her apartment as the fire grew, and several units near hers were alerted of the danger by their smoke alarms.
The occupants of two upstairs units were able to leave through their front doors, and three people jumped from a second-floor balcony before firefighters arrived, Wilson said.
All 20 units in the apartment building were evacuated, according to Wilson, but 10 of the apartments were undamaged and those occupants were able to return to their homes. Two of the apartments and an attic space suffered serious fire damage, while eight other units were damaged by smoke and water, Wilson said.
The fire displaced 16 adults and two children, who were being assisted with lodging by the property management company and the American Red Cross of Georgia.
A fire investigator confirmed the woman’s reports about the cooking fire and determined it was accidental, Wilson said.
About the Author
Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.
