Porch fire uproots residents at Norcross apartment complex

At least 12 residents of a Gwinnett County apartment complex were left without a place to stay when a pre-dawn blaze broke out Friday morning.

Gwinnett firefighters got reports of a porch fire at the Rosemont Peachtree Corners apartments along Westchase Village Lane in Norcross shortly before 1 a.m. By the time crews arrived, the fire had spread to an attic space and flames were shooting up through an HVAC system and protruding through the roof of a structure, fire officials said.

The building was evacuated while crews worked to extinguish the blaze. The roof collapsed above the apartment where the fire began.

No one was injured in the fire.

Investigators confirmed that coals from a charcoal grill accidentally ignited the blaze on the back porch of the residence.

A crew of Red Cross workers and the apartment complex’s management team assisted residents from 12 units who were displaced by the blaze, according to Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services.