Two Homes Heavily Damaged in Lawrenceville Fire

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Two Lawrenceville homes were heavily damaged in a fire Tuesday.

Gwinnett County firefighters were called at 1:37 p.m. to the fire on the 600 block of Old Johnson Road, SW.

When crews arrived, they found a two-story house with heavy flames coming from the back and in the attic. They also found fire coming from an exterior wall and the attic of the neighboring house to the original home's left.

The firefighters requested backup to fight the fires which caused heavy damage in the first house and moderate-to-heavy damage in that attic and part of main living space in the second house.

Firefighters rescued two dogs and two cats from inside the first house. Two more cats were found dead inside the home. The house's occupants weren't home.

Residents of the second house were at home when the fire erupted and escaped unharmed. There were no human injuries reported at either residence.

The exact cause of the fire had not been determined Wednesday morning, but investigators said it appears to have started around the back deck of the first house.

One witness reported seeing a small fire underneath the deck, fire officials said.

Photo courtesy Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services