Gwinnett County firefighters battle overnight lightning fires

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - The overnight summer thunderstorms which moved through metro Atlanta and north Georgia left behind a little damage, mostly due to the lightning.

Gwinnett County firefighters said they responded to at least three incidents Friday night thanks to the cloud-to-ground lightning.

The first call happened around 11:26 p.m. at a home in the 2400 block of Luke Edwards Road SE in Dacula. Firefighters said they responded to a call of a fire in the basement. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the basement room where it started, leaving behind moderate damage and some smoke damage to the rest of the home.

About 42 minutes later and less than 10 miles west, another lightning strike is being blamed for a fire at a quadraplex unit in the 1800 block of Patterson Court SW in unincorporated Lawrenceville. Firefighters said they found a fire in the second-floor laundry room. Crews worked to contain the fire to that room, but not before the blaze caused extensive damage. Fire investigators believe the fire sparked after lightning hit the electrical outlet of the clothes dryer, catching a nearby pile of clothes on fire. The American Red Cross is assisting the residents.

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A little more than 2 miles west of there and about 13 minutes later, firefighters were dispatched to a kitchen fire in the 500 block of Autumn Shore Drive NW in unincorporated Lawrenceville. Firefighters said they found the fire between floors and worked to put it out quickly. Residents told firefighters they heard a loud boom and the power went out. After resetting several tripped breakers, the smoke alarm sounded. Firefighters said all 4 adults and 3 children were displaced, but are being helped by the Red Cross.

Firefighters said in all three fires, the smoke alarm alerted the residents to the fire. They also credit those smoke alarms with helping to prevent any injuries. Before all three fires, residents reported hearing a loud boom.

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