A grease fire is believed to be the cause of a Tuesday night blaze at a Gwinnett County apartment complex that left 40 people without homes, authorities said.
Investigators said the fire started in the kitchen of one unit at the Rockbridge Court Apartments in unincorporated Norcross and quickly spread to the rest of the building. When crews arrived shortly after 7:30 p.m., much of the two-story building was engulfed in flames.
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The buildings’ residents were in the process of evacuating as fire trucks and police arrived at the scene, Gwinnett fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said.
Crews went to work to contain the blaze but were forced out of the building when the roof partially collapsed, he said. It took two aerial ladders and multiple hoses to eventually get it under control.
“The blaze caused heavy fire damage to the roof and extensive fire damage to eight individual apartment units,” Rutledge said in a news release. “Four other units sustained residual smoke and water damage.”
Two people were checked for minor exposure to smoke by paramedics at the scene, he said. Another person was taken to a hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
The Red Cross was assisting displaced families with temporary lodging and other emergency provisions.
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According to Rutledge, a fire investigator determined the blaze was the result of a cooking accident. Cooking is a leading cause of residential fires year-round, he said.
“An occupant of the apartment attempted to douse the fire with a portable extinguisher, but was unsuccessful,” he said.
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