An intense fire at a large Gwinnett County home was so difficult to fight Friday morning that crews needed help from above — in the form of a police helicopter.
No one was inside the 15,000-square-foot house in the 1900 block of Lebanon Road when firefighters arrived, but their job was only beginning. They needed more than 1,000 feet of hose just to get water to the structure from the street, then had to call in the Gwinnett Police Department’s air unit to dump 22 buckets from a nearby lake on top of the flames.
“That’s not that common, but it’s something we have here in Gwinnett,” fire spokesman Lt. Andy Lane told reporters at the scene in Lawrenceville. “We’re very fortunate that they were able to fly today to help us to get a copious amount of water in one drop.”
Despite their efforts, the home was destroyed.
The first crews arrived at the two-story house, not far from I-85, about 7:50 a.m. Since the home is a long distance from Lebanon Road on a large piece of land, firefighters initially struggled to get enough hose to the fire, Lane said. That’s when they requested air assistance. The blaze was brought under control by about 9:40 a.m.
“We’re going to be here most of the day,” Lane said.
Credit: John Spink / Jspink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / Jspink@ajc.com
Lane confirmed that the home, built in 1990 according to records, was vacant and said no injuries were reported. Other small houses were found on the 35-acre property, but the fire was contained to the main structure.
The expansive home includes five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, according to Zillow. It is valued at around $3 million.
A neighbor told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the homeowner died in July of last year. Authorities said they contacted the current owner, who eventually arrived at the scene.
“This is so super sad,” said an emotional Kerry Kruegler, who was walking by the scene Friday morning and described the home as kind of a “landmark” in the area. “It’s like a death. I’m just so heartbroken.”
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
