GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Three adults and a child escaped a mobile home fire early Monday morning thanks to one of the adults waking up to the sounds of fire popping and crackling, Gwinnett County fire officials said.
They're now warning the public about the importance of smoke alarms.
The fire hollowed out a mobile home in unincorporated Norcross. Gwinnett fire officials said they received a call after 3 a.m. about a storage shed on fire, getting closer to the home.
The response was able to keep the fire spreading from two more homes nearby.
"Fire crews arrived on scene and found a storage shed heavily involved in flames with extension into the home," Gwinnett fire officials said in a release. "Two additional homes were in close proximity to the fire and considered immediate exposure risks. Firefighters rapidly deployed multiple fire attack hose lines to knock down the bulk of the blaze and protect the exposures."
Those two homes had what fire officials said were "moderate damage to the vinyl siding" because of heat from the fire.
It's not clear what started the fire in the storage said, though they said it did not appear suspicious.
In addition to the people escaping, a dog also got out of the home and was found a few hours later, officials said.
Gwinnett fire officials are advising the public of a number of safety tips, with October being Fire Prevention Month.
- Install working smoke alarms on every level of the home and in each of the bedrooms.
- Develop a home fire escape plan and practice fire drills regularly.
- Keep a portable fire extinguisher close at hand to douse a small fire.
- Look for and eliminate home hazards that could cause a fire to start or grow in intensity.
MORE HEADLINES