Early Morning Fire Destroys Dacula Business, Damages Others

DACULA, GA—An early morning fire destroyed a local clothing store over the weekend. According to a county spokesperson, firefighters responded at 4:36 a.m. to a police officer's report of a business fire at Hamilton Plaza located at 1342 Auburn Road NE in Dacula. A Gwinnett County police officer doing routine patrol in the area noticed smoke and flames coming from one of the suites in the strip shopping center.

Officials said crews arrived on scene of a one-story commercial structure with smoke and flames erupting from a single suite in the middle of the strip shopping center. Flames consumed the suite from front to back and broke through the roof before firefighters arrived at the scene.

Firefighters encountered heavy smoke, heat and fire conditions inside the suite on the left side of the fire unit and kept in check while two aerial ladders were put into operation and began flowing water from above, officials said. The aerial ladders were able to get the bulk of the fire knocked down so that hose lines on the ground could extinguish the flames. Positive pressure ventilation was performed to remove residual smoke from the affected businesses and utilities were secured. No injuries were reported.

A total of five businesses were affected by the fire, officials said. Logan’s Boutique was the original fire unit and was destroyed. Unique Tan located on the left side of the fire unit suffered extensive fire damage. Tobacco Palace and Del Rio Mexican Grill sustained moderate smoke and water damage. CrossFit Pure had residual smoke inside the business and was ventilated by fire crews.

The remaining businesses on the entire right side of the strip shopping center were not damaged by fire, according to officials. The strip shopping center does not have automatic fire sprinklers and the two businesses with extensive fire damage did not have monitored fire alarm systems, they confirmed.

Fire investigators said they confirmed the fire originated in Logan’s Boutique and the cause is undetermined and under active investigation.