No injuries were reported in an overnight fire that damaged an iconic Lake Lanier store and bait shop.
The blaze was reported just before midnight at The Dam Store in the 1200 block of Buford Dam Road near Buford.
The store operator’s family lived in a two-story portion of the building, and they made it out safely, according to Gwinnett fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge.
“The family was alerted to the fire by one of the children who smelled smoke,” Rutledge said. “We are fortunate that everyone was able to escape unharmed, especially given the intensity of the fire on arrival.”
The store is “an icon in the Buford area and has been around for 60-plus years,” Rutledge said. “Anyone who visits Lake Lanier on the Gwinnett said has either passed by or stopped in at the store for one thing or another.”
Rutledge said the blaze was mostly confined to the residential portion of the building. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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