Two people, including a firefighter, sustained minor injuries Tuesday morning when a fire ripped through a Gwinnett County apartment complex, investigators said.
Crews were called to The Oxford Apartments on Club Lakes Parkway near Lawrenceville at 8:53 a.m. and arrived within five minutes, according to Lt. Jessica Joiner with the Gwinnett fire department. They arrived to find heavy flames and immediately went to work, Joiner said.
While they were extinguishing the flames, a portion of the roof collapsed and all firefighters were pulled from the burning structure.
“Roof collapse is very dangerous and something that we don’t play with as firefighters,” Joiner said at the scene. “So that is why we backed everybody out because if we’re not there to fight fire, then we can’t help the people that need help.”
Approximately 20 people had to be evacuated from the three-story building, according to investigators.
Crews were able to resume their work and the fire was under control by 9:32 a.m. A firefighter and a resident were both taken to the hospital, Joiner said.
On Tuesday afternoon, the fire department said 12 units had been damaged, displacing 31 residents. The American Red Cross was assisting those affected by the fire.
Investigators believe it started on a second-floor balcony, but the exact cause has not been determined. Those in the apartment said they awoke to the sound of crackling and saw flames coming from the balcony, the fire department said.
Smoke alarms were not present in the unit where the fire originated, Joiner said.
Crews remained on the scene throughout the day to extinguish hot spots.
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