Lightning Sparks House Fire In Gwinnett

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Lightning from a thunderstorm that was moving through the area sparked a fire that caused heavy damage Thursday to a home in Lawrenceville.

Firefighters were called at 7:24 p.m. to a house in the 2700 block of Ozora Church Road. They found heavy smoke and flames showing from the attic of the two-story, woodframe home.

After getting no answer at the front door, they attacked the flames with hoses and entered the home to battle the blaze and conduct a search.

Due to flames breaking through the roof, they were forced back out of the house and had to fight the fire from there. It took more than an hour for them to bring the fire completely under control.

According to Gwinnett County Fire spokesman Capt. Tommy Rutledge, the fire caused heavy damage to the house. He said the fire appeared to be the result of a lightning strike during a thunderstorm that was moving through the area.

There was no one home at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. The occupants of the house were out of town, fire officials said, and spoke with a commander on the scene by telephone.

Photo courtesy Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services