'Smoking Materials' May Have Caused Suwanee Motel Fire

SUWANEE, GA — The fire that killed a man Sunday in a Suwanee motel room may have been caused by smoking materials burning near a medical oxygen tank.

Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services Deputy Chief Charles Wells said Tuesday that foul play is not suspected in the fire, at InTown Suites on 95 Celebration Dr. in Suwanee.

The exact cause of the fire has not been determined, Wells said. But fire investigators "have not been able to rule out possible smoking materials in the presence of a medical oxygen device," he said in a news release.

Firefighters responded at 2:14 a.m. Sunday to a fire alarm at the motel.

When they arrived, they saw smoke coming from a first floor unit. Upon entering the room, they found a male victim and rapidly got him out of the room.

But soon afterward, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The fire was controlled by the motel's sprinkler system and no hose lines were deployed, according to a news release from Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services.

Fire damage was contained to that one room and all of the motel's other occupants were allowed to return. No other injuries were reported.

Police have not publicly identified the victim.
File image via Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services