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Two families displaced by Buford townhouse fire

One person received minor injuries from the blaze.
Credit: Gwinnett County Fire Department
Firefighters worked to knock down a townhouse fire in Buford early Wednesday morning, Feb. 27, 2019.

BUFORD, Ga. — Wednesday morning, Gwinnett County firefighters responded to a reported apartment fire in the 400 block of Eagle Tiff Drive in Buford. A caller to 911 said 'everything' was on fire.

When crews arrived, at about 7:32 a.m., they discovered a working fire at a three-story townhome with flames coming out of the garage on the front of the structure. Smoke alarms inside the home alerted residents and allowed them to escape before firefighters arrived.

Due to the size of the fire and the speed at which it was spreading, firefighters deployed a large hose line to commence their attack of the blaze. An examination of the structure determined that the fire had already moved up to the first and second floors of the structure. Additional lines were deployed to get the fire extinguished.

Neighbors told firefighters that an elderly neighbor with limited mobility was still inside a townhouse adjacent to the burning unit on the right side.

After firefighters did not receive a response to knocks on the door, they forced their way in. Once inside, they found the elderly person trying to get into a mechanical chairlift to get to the first floor.

Firefighters were able to carry that person out of the townhouse, as it began to fill with smoke.

Fire crews said the unit that was on fire was completely gutted, while the adjacent unit had minor smoke damage on the top floors.

One person from the unit that burned suffered minor injuries. That person was transported, under non-emergency conditions, to a nearby hospital for further evaluation. The elderly person from the adjacent unit was also assessed by EMTs on the scene, but declined transport to the hospital.

No other injuries were reported.

The American Red Cross is providing assistance to two families. A family of three -- two adults and one child from the unit that burned -- have been displaced. Since the power was turned off to the three townhomes on the block, assistance is also being provided to a family of five -- three adults and two children -- who are living furthest from the unit that caught fire.

The elderly person who lived in between the two units declined assistance from the Red Cross.

Fire investigators said the blaze was caused by a trickle battery charger in the garage.

Fire equipment responding to the scene included five engines, two ladder trucks, one squad, one air and light unit, two medical units, one district commander, two battalion chiefs, three fire investigators and one PIO.

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