(Loganville, Ga., April 17, 2022) – Firefighters responded at 4:57 a.m. to an occupant report of a house fire in the 4400 block of Beaver Road SW in unincorporated Loganville. The 911 caller advised there was a fire in front of the house, and she was trying to get the kids. Additional information advised two kids were outside with the caller and two kids were still inside the house. Due to the information provided, additional units were requested and started towards the scene.

On arrival, firefighters found a single-story residence on a slab with heavy fire involvement throughout the front of the structure. A walk-around of the structure was completed while hose lines were deployed through the tree line to the front of the home. While crews worked to get a knockdown, multiple crews arriving on scene began performing Vent-Enter-Search (VES) which focuses searches on tenable locations for victims primarily utilizing exterior window access. Multiple aggressive search attempts were executed to locate the missing children. After the fire was brought under control, a 10-year-old female victim was located deceased in room used as a bedroom without window access. Efforts continued for the next couple hours to sift through debris to locate the 15-year-old male that was believed to be inside. Around 9 a.m., the 15-year-old was located away from the scene and appeared to be okay. The home sustained extensive fire damage throughout the front half of the structure including the attic. Two cats were also found deceased inside the home.

A total of seven people lived at the home including two adults and five children. One adult and four children were at home when the fire broke out. According to a family member, smoke alarms are installed in the home, but they did not activate. Gwinnett County Police Chaplains and the American Red Cross are assisting the family with temporary needs for the two adults, four children and two dogs.

Fire investigators responded to the scene for origin and cause determination. The cause of the fire remains under active investigation.

Firefighters encourage all citizens to practice home fire safety. Be sure to install working smoke alarms on every level of the home and in each bedroom. Develop a home escape plan and practice fire drills regularly. For additional information on home fire safety, please contact the Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services’ Community Risk Reduction Division at 678-518-4845 or email fireprograms@gwinnettcounty.com.  

Equipment at the scene included: 6-Engines, 1-Ladder Truck, 1-Squad, 2-Rescues, 2-Air/Light Units, 3-Medic Units, 3-Battalion Chiefs, 2-Fire Investigators and 1-PIO

Note: Pictures of the incident can be located on Facebook and Twitter @GwinnettFire.