It wasn’t a smoke detector that alerted a family to an early morning fire in their Gwinnett County townhome, officials said. It was the sound of their dog barking.
“The husband and wife got their kids and escaped by going downstairs and exiting out the front door,” Gwinnett fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said Wednesday.
When authorities got to the two-story, six-unit Castlegate Townhomes in the 1000 block of Level Creek Road near Buford, the family’s townhome was fully involved. The blaze appears to have started in the downstairs living room and quickly spread to the unit next door.
“The blaze burned in the attic and ran the length of the building,” Rutledge said. “Firefighters flowed water from multiple hose lines to control the fire and protect exposures. There is extensive damage to the structure.”
Seventeen adults and 10 children were displaced. The American Red Cross has been requested to assist them.
According to Rutledge, smoke alarms inside the family’s unit were not working.
“We are fortunate that the family dog alerted the occupants and they were able to escape the burning unit where the fire started,” he said. “This fire serves as an important reminder to install and maintain working smoke alarms and to develop a home fire escape plan.”
The exact cause of the fire is under investigation, Rutledge said.
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