Garden Plaza Hotel Evacuated During Gwinnett Weekend Fire

NORCROSS, GA — The Garden Plaza Hotel was evacuated because of a top-floor fire over the weekend and eighth-floor guests were not able to return to their rooms after Gwinnett County Fire put out the blaze. There were no injuries reported. The origin of the fire was a malfunctioning heating and air unit inside the fire room.

Firefighters responded Saturday at 2:25 p.m. to a report of a hotel fire at Garden Plaza Hotel, located in the 6000 block of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard NW in the city of Norcross, to find smoke and flames visible from the top floor of an eight floor hotel. The caller to 911 reported smelling smoke in the building and evacuation in progress.

Firefighters made their way to the eighth floor to investigate the intensity of the blaze. Evacuation was in progress when units arrived on scene and was completed with assistance from Norcross Police. Firefighters made entry into the fire unit with smoke banked down to the floor. Fire extinguishers were utilized to keep the fire in check until attack hose lines could be deployed on the fire floor. An aerial apparatus was deployed to make a quick knock down utilizing a ladder pipe from the exterior of the building.

A fire engine was connected to the structures standpipe system and provided water to the top floor. Interior attack hose lines completed extinguishment and firefighters confirmed no extension outside of the fire unit. The fire caused moderate damage to the room of origin. The hallway on the eighth floor sustained minimal water damage from hose lines. Staff advised that the room was unoccupied. A woman on the 8th floor noticed the fire and initiated evacuations. A maintenance employee was on the floor and confirmed a fire in the room; he then activated a nearby fire alarm pull station.

The entire structure was initially evacuated. Once the fire was contained to the room of origin, occupants from the seventh floor and below were allowed to return to their rooms. The hotel is making arrangements for the eighth floor occupants to be moved to other rooms. A fire investigator was requested to respond and assist with the origin and cause determination.

Equipment at the scene included: six engines, two trucks, one squad, two air/light units, two medic units, one rehab unit, two battalion chiefs, one deputy chief and one fire investigator.

Photos courtesy Gwinnett Fire Department