It took Gwinnett County firefighters nearly two hours to get a house fire under control Wednesday evening. Investigators believe it began during a holiday cookout.
Crews were dispatched shortly after 5:30 p.m. to a large Snellville home on Waverly Downs Drive, where they found heavy smoke and flames through the roof, according to Lt. Colin Rhoden with the Gwinnett fire department. Everyone was out of the home when firefighters arrived and no injuries were reported.
The intense heat and heavy wind gusts made fighting the fire difficult, Rhoden said. The fire was under control around 7:15 p.m., he said.
A resident told firefighters the blaze began when a oil in a deep fryer "flashed" and ignited on the back deck of the home, Rhoden said.
The home's attic and roof were heavily damaged, along with the interior, Rhoden said.
The Red Cross was assisting three people displaced by the blaze.
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