A fire that displaced about 24 residents at a Gwinnett County apartment complex late Wednesday started after a woman and her adult daughter fell asleep while cooking, officials said.
Smoke alarms alerted the women to the blaze, and firefighters responded just after 10 p.m. at the Summit at Dawson apartments in the 1400 block of Chase Lane, Gwinnett fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said.
They found “heavy smoke and flames coming out the front door of a second-floor apartment unit,” he said.
Residents in the building were already leaving when fire trucks arrived.
No injuries were reported.
Firefighters got the blaze under control in about 15 minutes.
A crew had to pull part of the sheetrock in adjoining units to make sure the fire was completely out, Rutledge said. They made a firewall to keep flames from spreading throughout the building.
Still, “the blaze gutted the origin apartment and caused water and smoke damage in four other units,” Rutledge said.
Residents were displaced from four other units because power was cut to that side of the building, Rutledge said.
The blaze penetrated part of the attic and roof, and smoke stains were visible across the exterior balcony and roofline of the building.
The American Red Cross of Georgia is providing emergency needs, including food and lodging to those displaced, the agency said.
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