An Auburn home collapsed Sunday after the flames of a charcoal grill ignited the building, Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services said.
A man was preparing to cook on the charcoal grill, located on the back deck, shortly before 4 p.m. He lit the grill and then went to the front of the house.
Soon, his wife shouted from inside the house that the flames from the grill were getting too big, according to a Fire and Emergency Services release.
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The flames reached the home’s back wall and began “shooting through the roof,” the department said. The man and a neighbor tried to put out the fire unsuccessfully and called 911.
When crews arrived, fire was coming through the basement, first and second floors and the attic. The roof had partially collapsed and the flames were too intense for firefighters to immediately go inside, the department said. The department was able to extinguish the fire from outside, using an aerial ladder and multiple hose lines. No nearby homes were damaged.
The man, his wife and their two children were displaced by the fire, but no injuries were reported. The home was a rental property.
Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services urges residents to never leave a lit grill unattended and to ensure the grill is a safe distance from buildings.
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