One Home Destroyed, Two Damaged in Norcross Fire

NORCROSS, GA — One home was destroyed and two others were damaged by a fire Tuesday off of Steve Reynolds Boulevard in Norcross.

Firefighters were called to the scene, in the 4600 block of Park Lake Ct. NW, around 5:04 p.m.

There, they found a two-story house fully on fire, with flames also burning the exterior siding and attic areas of two neighboring houses.

They immediately began working to protect the two neighboring homes, as well as training hoses to try to knock down flames on the main house.

The fire caused a total loss of the original house, according to Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services, and extensive damage in the attic of the house to its left.

The home on the right sustained extensive exterior wall damage, but no fire damage to its interior living space.

Occupants were home in all three houses, but all were able to escape and no one was hurt, the fire department said.

The American Red Cross was called to help about 20 people displaced by the fire. One woman was evaluated at the scene for a medical complaint unrelated to the fire.

Investigators were still working Wednesday to determine the exact cause of the fire. They say the blaze started in a second kitchen space that had been added onto the back of the house.

A grandfather and 10-year-old granddaughter were home at the time of the fire in the original house. The child reported smelling smoke about the same time the grandfather said he saw smoke while he was outside working in the yard.

A neighbor tried to douse the flames, but was unsuccessful. Neighbors reported hearing a loud boom, and the fire intensifying after it.

"This fire serves as an important reminder of following proper fire safety practices," said Gwinnett Fire Captain Tommy Rutledge.

Homeowners are urged to install working smoke alarms on every level of the home, in the hallway outside the sleeping area and in each of the bedrooms, and to develop and practice a home fire escape plan with the entire family.

Photos courtesy Gwinnett Fire & Emergency Services