BUFORD, Ga. - Twenty-seven people were displaced after an early morning fire impacted several townhomes in Buford, Georgia, Wednesday.
According to Capt. Tommy Rutledge with the Gwinnett County Fire Department, it happened at the Castlegate Townhomes in the 1000 block of Level Creek Road.
The fire apparently started in the unit on the right end of a two-story, six-unit apartment building. The family in one of the units said they were alerted to the fire by the barking of their dog.
According to Captain Rutledge, the family dog had jumped onto the master bed and woke up the mother and father, alerting them to the fire.
When the parents looked outside their window to see what the dog was barking about, they saw smoke coming up from the building.
"They said they have smoke alarms, but they were not working at the time," Captain Rutledge said. "We can't rely on the family dog to wake us up in situations like that. They're just very fortunate that that was the case."
The husband and wife got their kids and escaped down the stairs and out the front door. As they left the building, they saw flames in their living room.
When a police officer arrived, he said the unit was fully involved and flames were spreading to the unit next door. The officer and neighbors, together, started banging on doors to evacuate the building.
The fire spread across the length of the building through the attic.
Firefighters used several hose lines to control the fire and protect other structures. Initially, crews attacked the flames directly before they were forced to back out of the building and fought it from outside.
There was heavy fire damage in two or three units as well as smoke, heat and water damage in the remaining units.
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it apparently started in the downstairs living room of a townhome on the end of the building.
“We are fortunate that the family dog alerted the occupants and they were able to escape the burning unit where the fire started,” Rutledge said.
The residents of the unit where the fire started said smoke alarms were not working.
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire. A total of 17 adults and 10 children have been forced out of their homes by the fire and the American Red Cross has been called in to assist the families.
