Fireplace Used for Warmth Causes Total Loss in Home Blaze

A Gwinnett couple escaped from the total-loss weekend fire at their home on East Maddox Road, but it could have been worse.

Gwinnett Fire says the wife was awoken by smoke around 3 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, and the two were able to get out. But authorities also noted the residence had no working smoke detectors.

• Check out these tips for heating your home safely during the cold weather.

The wood-frame home was fully involved in flame when firefighters arrived at 3:25 a.m. after a neighbor called 911 when the frantic woman came knocking at the door.

The house is located down a long driveway on a heavily wooded lot.

“A lack of smoke alarms inside the home and the distance to the neighbor’s to get help contributed to the advanced fire conditions,” Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said in a news release.

Firefighters suggest installing working smoke alarms on every level of the home and in each of the bedrooms. Develop a home fire escape plan and practice fire evacuation drills regularly with the entire family. Be sure to have all home heating appliances, including the fireplace, serviced annually by a qualified technician prior to use.

The man and wife were asleep when the fire broke out in the fireplace, which they were using for warmth in the small (approximately 1,000 square feet) residence. They tried to dose the chimney with a garden hose before firefighters arrived.

The house was a total loss.

FIRE SAFETY MESSAGE

Firefighters suggest installing working smoke alarms on every level of the home and in each of the bedrooms. Develop a home fire escape plan and practice fire evacuation drills regularly with the entire family. Be sure to have all home heating appliances, including the fireplace, serviced annually by a qualified technician prior to use.

For additional information on home fire safety, contact the Gwinnett Fire Community Risk Reduction Division at 678-518-4845 or e-mail fireprograms@gwinnettcounty.com. The department offers free home safety surveys and smoke alarm checks as part of its community outreach programs.