Fireplace Fire Spreads, Damages Duluth House

A fire that apparently started in the fireplace caused significant damage to a house in the 4700 block of Fairway View Court NW in Duluth early Thursday (Dec. 27) evening.

Gwinnett firefighters responded to a report from an occupant about a fire in the home. A neighbor also called reporting flames visible from the back of the house, according to a report released to media by Capt. Tommy Rutledge. 

Firefighters were dispatched at 5:53 p.m. and arrived at the scene at 5:58 p.m. The fire was brought under control at 6:26 p.m., Rutledge reported.

A female occupant was reportedly cooking in the kitchen when she smelled smoke. The woman discovered flames erupting from the fireplace in the family room and tried to douse them with water, but was unsuccessful, according to Rutledge. The occupants were using the fireplace for warmth at the time the fire occurred, he said.

Fire crews found moderate smoke and flames showing from the two-story wood frame house upon arrival. The blaze spread from the fireplace in the family room on the main-level to the second floor and attic, Rutledge reported.

The fire caused significant damage to the second floor and attic and sent smoke and heat throughout the structure, Rutledge said. Flames broke through a portion of the roof as crews worked to bring the blaze under control. There was also residual water damage due to firefighting efforts, he said.

Initial firefighters made an aggressive interior attack and were able to extinguish the fire from the inside with several hoselines, Rutledge said.

The occupants, two adults, were displaced due to the damage, but refused Red Cross assistance, he said.

An adult woman was assessed at the scene for a minor medical emergency unrelated to the fire, Rutledge reported. She was released at the scene by paramedics. No other injuries were reported.

~ Duluth Patch