A Loganville couple and their dog escaped a house fire after being alerted by a smoke alarm that had been previously installed by Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services, the department said.
One of the residents of the home called 911 at 2:30 a.m. Thursday, May 16, and reported smelling smoke and hearing the smoke alarm. The 911 operator told the caller to evacuate the home, and firefighters were sent to the scene.
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When the fire crew arrived at the home, they found flames on an exterior wall that were climbing up the back of the house, according to a department release. The fire was extinguished before it spread to the inside of the home, though it was “minutes from penetrating the actual living quarters,” according to firefighters. If that had happened, the stairway allowing the occupants to exit would have quickly become blocked, the department said in a release.
The fire was determined to be accidental and firefighters believe it was caused by an electrical outlet near the deck.
The alarm alerting the residents to the fire was installed by the department in July 2018. The department offers smoke alarm checks and installations during community visits and in the wake of an emergency calls. Crews regularly carry working smoke alarms on their trucks in case they see a home in need of one, the department said.
“The efforts of our personnel really paid off, and we are extremely proud of the positive outcome for this family,” Fire Chief Russell Knick said in a press release.
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