Early Morning Fire Damages Lilburn Home

LILBURN, GA — A teen sleeping in an upstairs bedroom alerted her Lilburn family early Monday to a fire that did heavy damage to their home.

Gwinnett County firefighters were called at 3:55 a.m. to a report of a house fire in the 1400 block of Blackspruce Court in Lilburn.

Crews arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the garage and roof of a two-story wood frame house. They deployed attack hose lines and entered the home, where they encountered heavy flames burning in the attic over the garage and fire breaking through the roof.

The fire was eventually brought under control at 4:21 a.m.

There was extensive smoke and water damage to parts of the home's first and second floors. Firefighters also pulled sheetrock to make sure the fire was out and check for hotspots.

Fire officials say the teen, who was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom next to the garage, was alerted by the smell of smoke and got her family out of the home safely. Smoke alarms in the house had not yet sounded.

The father tried to put out the flames with a fire hose but was unsuccessful. There were no injuries reported.

The family — two adults and two teens with three cats — declined assistance from the American Red Cross, saying they were planning to stay with a nearby relative.

The exact cause of the fire remained undetermined and under investigation Monday, fire officials said.

Photo courtesy Gwinnett Fire & Emergency Services